The Absence of Zuko
by Holly The Future Author
Summary: The gaang stumbled upon a mysterious city, where they find another firebender that went against the fire nation's ways, but this firebender happens to be a former mob boss that is determined to teach the avatar firebending in the absence of Zuko.
1. Moving Forward

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

* * *

_Zuko never found his way._

_This leaves a big hole in their plan to defeat the fire lord._

_This could be a tamper of the fate of their world._

_Aang _has _to learn firebending._

* * *

Hiding in the Western Air Temple all summer wasn't the best plan for them. Even if they wanted to try it, eventually, someone was going to find them. Running away from their problems wasn't going to solve anything. It never does. They all knew that, but they all knew that they weren't going to admit it.

The only firebender that Aang was aware of that was not only capable, but willing to do the job, could be anywhere by now. He couldn't help but have no hope in finding him again. The odds were slim to none. The odds are even slimmer to find another firebender that was against the war. It seems like everyone in the fire nation has the intentions in chasing him down. Never, has he ever seen another _good_ firebender like Jeong Jeong was.

It was Katara's idea to come out of the closet. She was the first one to see what monstrosities have been rising to be in the dark for so long. There have been too many days when they haven't been doing anything all day. None of them cared about moving forward anymore.

The idea of hers seemed to pop out of nowhere in a conversation between her and Sokka, Aang and Toph. It was early in the morning. It was that time of the morning for Aang to feed Appa, all of them to clean up, have breakfast, and get ready to begin a new day - which usually started with a plan, but since they haven't been doing anything lately, a plan sounded too soon for any of them to worry about.

Aang, as a matter of fact, was all thumbs-up for the plan. Anything to get him some fresh air. . . Besides, Appa needed the exercise.

"We have to be careful, though," Sokka reminded. "If we see one sign of the fire nation, then we have to turn back."

No one had anything to comment on. They began to gather their items for the first time in a week. It felt nice to get back in their old schedule again. It made them realize that they didn't have as much time as they thought. That reminded Aang of something:

"If we want to get out of here, then we should do it fast. There's a bigger chance of being spotted in the middle of the day."

All of them agreed without question. "Anything to get away from those firebenders," Toph thought.

Sokka, Katara, Aang and Toph all worked together to lift all of their supplies on the big flying bison. Even with him laying flat on his stomach, he was still too tall for someone to easily lift tents, food, water, and etc, over him.

Momo randomly flew into the area and landed in Appa's saddle, ready for the journey ahead of them with an assuring chirp. It calmed down the tension a bit, but it was still hard to climb back in the saddle. So many things have gone wrong whenever they have gone somewhere new. Something has always happened when they just wanted to take a break. If they weren't mistaken, it was every time they traveled to an unfamiliar place. And they didn't even know where they were going.

"And who knows," Toph said. "Maybe Twinkle Toes'll meet a new firebending teacher." She shrugged with a smirk on her face. She was aware of that slim chance of finding one. She was only being sarcastic.

"Ha," he laughed off in a monotone. "I doubt that." He was with Toph on that one.

Katara was the last one to get in Appa's saddle. She checked the temple a few times this morning before she even mentioned going anywhere, but she wanted to take one last look before they left. They couldn't afford losing anything just because they forgot to take something with them.

While she climbed the flying bison, she went off on her motherly-ways, again:

"Who knows? Maybe we will find a firebender that's on our side."

"A firebender that's not from the fire nation?" Sokka asked, bewildered. He was the individual who hated the fire nation the most. He had no faith in them whatsoever and would never give them a second chance if they were given one. He thought of them as the lowest people on earth, but really, who could blame him?

"We found Jeong Jeong, didn't we?" she asked. She was desperate to find ways to contradict their theories, but she felt good about her belief. It's the same feeling as when she knew that the avatar would come back. She knew that there had to be someone out there - just one out of those millions of people, that could at least give a few tips on how to firebend before Aang confronts the fire lord. There just had to be.

She didn't even notice Aang telling Appa to go until he lifted his feet from the ground, or the fact that no one bothered to keep the conversation going, for that matter.

* * *

One of the gaurds that kept watch of the jail cells paced the halls with is eyes peeled for anything suspicious. The hall that he was walking in was coming to an end. He had a choice to either go left or right.

To his right was a dead end, containing only about 5 or more cells on each side, but he has checked that area more then once, and all of the times, they have passed his inspection. It was time to go left, where it brought him to the center of the building.

He spotted a large shadow in the distance, facing a particular cell. His first impression was that it was another one that wasn't in its spot. Reflexes moved his feet into a firebending stance, ready to strike him out at any moment. The hallway was so quiet that he heard the sound of his shuffling feet and heavy breathing.

A hand was gently raised and the man said, "I am one of you," in a slight whisper.

He wasn't assured until he saw it for himself, even though his arms lowered. He took a few steps forward to get a better look, and of course, he was right. He was dressed in the same attire that every soldier wears on duty as a jail gaurd. It was the regular dark red and black armour covering his legs and shoulders. The cloth surrounding it was neatly set around it to give it a calmer look. A fire nation insignia was hand-marked on each side of the shoulders of his armour. The uniform made him look the same as everyone else, but he was really a lot older then the rest of them on gaurd. He had to be at least sixty years old.

He let his stance go completely and gave it a breath. It wasn't everyday that he sees another soldier in the same wing as he was, unless the general was enforcing the law more heavily now that the avatar has returned. . . but wait, wasn't the avatar dead?

"Someone has escaped," the man said. "Very clever, I must say, but this isn't the first time, and we both know who's to blame."

He rested his eyes upon him and nodded once.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll both have equal consequences, as will the rest of the gaurds."

His gaze turned back to the jail cell. The door was wide open. He was looking at the inside of it. Her escape must be highly noticable there.

"That is my forewarning to you," he said with a bow. He continued his way down the long, dark hall with all of the other jail cells that were actually filled with the criminals. The robe covering some of his armour flowed behind him like a large cloak would. That wasn't part of the dress code that was enforced.

"Who was it that has escaped?"

The man stopped, but he did not turn around. He kept his eyes on him until he got an answer. . .

"Holly Wilson."

* * *

"How long does this desert go on for? We've been flying for hours!" Sokka complained with his head out of the saddle. He was hopelessly watching the dead soil stretch out for miles.

"We haven't been flying for hours, Sokka, it hasn't even been an hour yet," Katara told him.

Sokka pulled his head back in. "Wow, I guess it really has been a while."

"Yeah, but I'm getting pretty sick of this dry air," said Toph.

"I'm actually surprised we haven't been caught, yet," Katara admitted. "Azula and Zuko knew that we've been here, before."

"Maybe they got distracted or took a break," Sokka said, trying to come up with ideas. He shrugged, but could still think of a whole lot of other possibilities in his mind. Though, he couldn't hide the fact that what Katara said was true.

"Maybe they found a new target?"

Toph brought up of what was actually a really good point, but it didn't seem probable to them. Since she was the one with the least experience with the two siblings, then she would always be the optomist when it comes to Azula and Zuko.

"Like who? Is there another avatar out there that's willing to defeat their fire lord?" Katara asked sarcastically. She was only in this kind of mood because she knew that there was a prominent reason for them not getting caught today. She found it to be a problem that they should issue. There had to be some reason that they weren't out looking for the avatar. If there was one thing that was for sure, then that would be that they never give up.

Aang, who was sitting on Appa's head, had a map resting in his lap to know where he was steering. They had names of cities and towns in the area that he was supposed to keep track with, but he was so busy daydreaming, that he almost didn't notice that they were flying over a city right now.

"Hey, guys, I think I found a city!"

He looked down at the map, hoping to see the location and name of the city, but there wasn't anything marked on the map where they were. Either they needed a new map, or this is an unknown city. Both of them were pretty likely.

"I don't think I've ever been here, before," Aang said. "Let's check it out!"

He shook the reins that were tied to Appa's horns and called "Yip yip!"

Instead of the bison rising higher, he began to descend.

The closer that they got, the more weirder the city looked. It wasn't like any other city that they have seen. It was so low-populated that it looked deserted. The tint to their buildings were a lot darker then they should be, they were almost a black color that looked to them like soot. There weren't any markets that were in sight. Clearly, according to Katara, this place needed some cleaning up to do.

"Well, at least we'll all know that Azula and Zuko won't be here," Sokka said in an optomistic, yet sarcastic voice. His tone was full of intimidation as he stared at the dull, dark and quiet town. Something wasn't right.

Aang, without really noticing, parked Appa right in the middle of the road. It just wide enough for him. Immediately, when they entered, they smelled a foul stentch like old, scented-candles - but only the smoke part.

It was especially weird for the team to not be welcomed by any of the citizens to their town, but no one was there, anyway. It was empty all up and down the road. There were a few market stands in the distance and one beside them, but it was unoccupied. There was a wind chime hanging form one of the empty windowsills that made the only sound. The wind was totally dry.

"Hello?" Aang called out, his voice echoing. "Is anybody here?"

Aang was the first one to slide off the side of Appa. There was barely any room for him to land. He found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with Appa and one of the large, dark buildings. He expected his entire sleeve to be blackened when he pushed away.

Appa roared, like he didn't have a good feeling about this place. Katara and Toph didn't want to move: they were the first to spot someone. They felt like they couldn't warn him, since she would hear them the same time that he would. He would have no time to prepare. When Sokka saw her, he was also coming up with the same assumption.

Aang took a step back, but he was still squished in between his bison and that stupid wall. He kept backing up until he would reach the side of the building. That was when he ran into her.

* * *

The other gaurd ignored him after only one question, just when he could think of ten other questions. He thought he had recodnized the name from somewhere, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He knew that name from somewhere. . . did he read it somewhere? Did he come across it when he was going through old records last night? Has he actually seen this person before? Maybe all was true.

The door remained ajar. From where he was standing, the only thing standing out of place was the fact that it was opened. Otherwise, the cell appeared to be normal.

He didn't have a straight answer to why he was so scared to approach it, but anything could happen these days. He was being extra cautious walking up to the metal door. His hands were up and ready to throw fire at anyone that jumps out at him, no difference if it was a bug or a human. Chances were fifty/fifty, but he didn't want to take the risk. His body forced himself to jump in the doorway.

A jet of fire followed him, but it quickly dissolved in the air in a matter of seconds.

The entire cell was made of metal. It was about as large as the fire lord's closet. This particular room had nothing in it whatsoever. He expected it to have some type of bed or mattress shoved in the corner like every other one, but there was nothing.

The back wall was totally blown apart. It looked as though someone had brought dynamite to it. It also reminded him of watching paper burn. The surrounding metal looked like it was melted, then dried over from the wind outside. Some parts of it had weird folds and creases around the corners of the room from so much heat. Some parts still looked like they were hot. He was afraid to step inside and burn the souls of his feet.

This prison is located on a remote island and is a dormant volcano. The water around it is scortching hot and burns anyone that gets close to it. The only way to leave The Boiling Rock is if you rode on the Gondala, which is more heavily gaurded than anything else here. Even if she was the greatest firebender in the world, she still wouldn't have a great chance taking all of them down. What did she do, grow some wings and fly across? With that said, wouldn't at least one out of the hundreds of gaurds catch her before she escaped? He knows how slow the gondalas are, he doesn't even know how long it would take to leave by foot, if that's even possible.

What is the general going to say when he finds out about this? Seeing how angry he gets when one of the criminals steal some of their food, he didn't know what he would do when he sees what one of them has done to his jail cell. Would his first priority be to find the one that has escaped, or punish all of the gaurds and make them repair? What if he fires everyone? Even worse, what if he tells the fire lord? He remembers what happened last time one of them met face-to-face with him.

". . . hear that someone escaped?"

The voice was very faint, but the person sure wasn't watching what he was saying.

What does he do now? They would bring suspicion if the rest of the staff found him lingering in the escaper's room. But there wasn't anywhere to hide. . . Unless he leans against the front wall beside the doorway. If they don't decide to go into the room, then he might be safe. So that's what he did.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about her," one of them said. From the higher voice, he guessed this gaurd to be a woman. "I think they're all making her get way over their heads." She was making it sound like it wasn't a big deal and there was nothing to worry about.

"Well, I don't blame 'em!" the other gaurd said. "She's a firebender - and a pretty damn good one at that. She's clever as a fox, too, 'specially to figure out a way off this island."

"Pffft, you're exaggerating yourself, Chen! I've seen that girl before, she's - what, under five feet tall?"

"Don't let her height and good looks fool 'ya. People say that her fire is as white as snow. That's the hottest fire out there," he informed. "That's even hotter then the fire Azula makes. Even the fire lord himself can't make that much heat! And that is really sayin' somethin', eh?"

"Do you think that's how she melted down that wall?"

He could almost feel the hot breath off of the two gaurds against his neck. The way the woman asked the question sounded like she was either amazed, scared or both. At least he knows now that he's not the only one intimidated by the damage she has caused. He's never seen anything like this before. And he figured that they haven't either.

"It's too bad that the girl isn't on our side," was his only answer.


	2. Holly Wilson

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I've finally decided to continue this story. In this one, I'm finally introducing my new character (All of her rights go to me!). We share a name, but by all means, I am **_**not**_** as cool as her, lol**

* * *

Aang has never recalled any other time when he has been so startled in his life. He checked the whole road before they had landed, and he swore that the place was empty.

His first instinct that came to his mind was that this person was an enemy. There were too many occasions where he has gave people chances when they really couldn't be trusted. Too many times, his friends or himself has gotten hurt from strangers. Of course, his first guess was that this person was from the fire nation, or at least on their side. This person had a certain look on her face that confused his judgment.

"You need to get away from him!" Katara threatened. Water was encasing both of her arms, ready to strike at any move this person had made. The last time she tried to trust somebody that looked like her, he turned his back on her and betrayed all of them. He was part of the reason that Aang got struck with lightning only a couple of months ago. She didn't ever want to make that same mistake again.

Aang took another look at this person. It was a girl, but by no means did she look like any normal one. She was shorter then he was. She was about the size of Toph. But her height did not excuse the fact that she had one eerie appearance.

One thing that really stood out was her hair. It was a color that they have never seen before. It was a few shades lighter then Katara's hair. Under the sun's rays, it reflected the color white. And the style of it was hard to take in. She had no literal part anywhere on her head, at least, not from what Aang could see. There were numerous, long, yet thin pieces of hair that hung all down the side of her face. The length of the hair got shorter if you traced from her chin to her forehead. On the other side of her face, some parts of her hair would be completely straight, and others would flip out in the same direction that the rest of her hair was. All of her remaining hair came just an inch or so below her shoulders.

Part of her eyes were hidden underneath that hair, but Aang could still see that it wasn't an ordinary color. Under the bright sun, he couldn't tell what it was, exactly, though, he could tell that they were partly squinted, and they were looking straight into the direction of where Katara was.

"You're jumping to the conclusion that I'm just gonna attack this guy? I don't think that's very wise," she commented. Her voice had an extra low tone to it for being female. "But if you were actually going to be smart about your judgment, I would like to point out that I'm wearing the attire of a prisoner, which would probably mean that that was where I was previously. Therefore, I must have escaped - so if I were you, I wouldn't mess with someone like me. You might get yourself hurt." She talked very quickly, trying to jump to the conclusion. Aang could have mistaken her as a lawyer when she spoke. She didn't blink once and kept her eye contact with Katara. Even with the look Katara was giving her, she still showed no fear. It was like she didn't realize that she was angry.

"What do you want from us?" Toph asked.

"What do I want from you? Unless I'm going mad, I think your little friend here is the one who ran into _me_."

Toph had no response. Even though she tried to, she was beaten. She didn't realize how they bumped into her since her feet weren't touching the ground. She felt like she was week and stupid compared to her.

"Ohh, I see. I guess you didn't notice," she said. "My apologies. You even almost fooled me with that hair covering your eyes. I like to do that sort of thing, as well. . ." she trailed off when she referenced her very different styled hair. She flicked her head to the side. Even more strands of hair were flown against her face, and even some covered her own eyes.

"Leave us alone," Katara bluntly repeated, approaching the side of the saddle to get off of Appa.

"Even if I'd like to, there's a flying bison blocking my path," she stated. None of them had a clue how she knew what kind of animal Appa was. His species haven't been around for a hundred years. Aang hasn't met anyone that has recodnized him kind since he walked out of that iceburg.

"How do you know it's a flying bison?" Sokka asked, joining into the conversation.

"Well; seeing that he's a bison, and he flies, I only figured-"

Katara was already fed up with her. She jumped in between her and Aang, gathering even more water in her grasp.

"Katara: Stop."

Aang managed himself to pass Katara. He became face-to-face with the strange girl. None of her expression changed, even with an engraged waterbender right in front of her that was dangerously close to attacking her. She merely folded her arms after the conclusion that she didn't have to do any battling. It followed with a sigh, and Aang couldn't help but stare. Smoke puffed out of her nostrils, but it was barely visible. The smoke was pure white.

He slowly returned his narrowed eyes to meet hers.

"Who _are_ you?"

"Well, well, well! Finally, you ask a more productive question," she said sarcastically, yet placidly with absolutely no enthusiasm. "I'm Holly Wilson, but I prefer if you just call me Holly."

It was a name that none of them have heard of before. To them, it was extraordinary.

"Are you from the fire nation?" Sokka asked. He was the most racist when it came to firebenders. If she had anything to do with the fire nation, then he knew that he was not going to put up with her.

"If I was from the fire nation, don't you think you would be captured by now?"

Katara was fuming behind Aang. Holly examined her anger from fifteen feet away. From Aang's perspective, it appeared to be that she had no trouble seeing Katara as clearly as he would if he turned around. She looked like she was confused, or maybe debating about something.

"I am from the fire nation, yes, I was born and raised in the fire nation. But by all means, I am not on their side." She let out a smirk. That smirk made them slide under the impression that she was lying.

"And how do you expect us to believe that?" Toph asked, taken aback. She crossed her arms in a pouting-manner.

"Again, if I was under the control of the fire nation, then I wouldn't be wasting my time answering all of your questions."

Katara was making her way towards her again, but Aang held her back. It was extra hard to when her arms were covered in active water. He had to use his own waterbending to keep her in place. He almost lost his balance at one instant.

"Will you believe me if I give you a place to stay for the night? I highly doubt your bison's in a comfortable spot at the moment."

At that, the gaang froze. They started to believe that it was a trap and they all knew they were thinking the same thing.

"We don't need your help finding a place to stay." She finally bent the water back into her gorges.

"It takes about three weeks to get to the next nearest city by ostritch-horse. I'd say it'd be about one week on a flying bison. The least I can do is help you make it out," she offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Sokka told her. Aang and Katara climbed back on Appa: one sat in the saddle and the other on his head. Holly had a sick look on her face to their decision. After her own stare, she shook her head in shame and mumbled something under her smoking breath.

_"Chicken shits."_

SMACK!

Katara whipped small, but still very sharp water across Holly's face.

Holly _snarled_, followed by a series of white smoke bursting out of the gaps in between her teeth. Aang would usually break it up in a situation like this, but he was too mesmorized by the color. Holly had to be a firebender, but he didn't recodnize any fire that she made. All he has seen is smoke. And that was even hard to see under the sun's bright light.

Katara was making a big mistake, but Aang didn't have the strength to end it.

* * *

Chaos was erupting by the dozen. The general has expelled over half of his crew on the island. His own job was spiralling out of control. His reputation was going down the drain. The fact that someone has escaped The Boiling Rock has spread throughout half of fire nation's population in a matter of one night. Some of the higher officials have been speculating wether the general is fit for the job or not, and if that was true, then who would take his place? There is no one willing to run the most highly gaurded prison in the world.

This gaurd was one of the very lucky ones. He managed to wriggle out of getting busted for knowing of the escape before the general did. There was a very good chance that he could of gotten tortured, neglected, banished, or maybe even worse. . . He didn't want to even think of the probable chances that he had just slipped out of. He hasn't been any more nervous in his life when he was standing with all of the rest of the employees, right in front of the general. One by one, individuals were called up to be sentenced for their "crimes". It was a terrible thing to watch. He still got sick to his stomach whenever it crossed his mind when he was filling in for all of the jobs the previous workers had.

Some of the other lucky workers' only punishment was to cleanup Holly's jail cell to the point where it would look like nothing has ever occupied the room. It was difficult, he would admit, to replace an entire wall of metal in the back of the cell. None of them had a clue how to get the remaining metal stuck to the frame of the room off. Their tools for the job were limited. But some of them were just glad that they were still alive.

The prisoners that were still in The Boiling Rock claim that they knew Holly - some claimed that they knew her on a personal level. Frankly, the gaurd doesn't remember seeing her at all. All of the corruption has been causing rumors to buzz around the hallways and courtyards. Some of them were interesting, some came to the point where it was terrifying to think about the possible power that this girl has, and a few of them that had just recently been passed around sounded unnatural for a human being to control. He wasn't even aware of that "small electric pulse in your heartbeat". One prisoner that he was watching over this morning said that she could, "control the true fire in one's heart to the point where the heart will stop beating." Yes, he didn't look like he was all with it in the head, but that doesn't excuse the fact that a rumor like this could actually be true.

There was something that he couldn't figure out after hearing all of this mess. If Holly is even half as powerful as she is played out to be, then how did she get captured in the first place? How did they manage to throw her in a prison if she could simply stop their hearts from beating for throw some white fire in their faces? If that fire could burn down a pure-metal wall, then he wouldn't doubt that someone would be killed if they got too close to its heat.

It was break time for the fellow lucky employees. The number of staff members has greatly decreased. In the staff room, people were greatly spread out due to the emptiness. Much commotion was building up on the only topic that has been active for the past few days. He was sure that it wasn't going to go away soon, either.

"You know what I heard today?" one of the gaurds asked. He was much younger then the rest of them, but that meant he was one of the healthiest. He was one of the last young men on duty. The rest were blamed for the incident. "I heard that she was the leader of a _mob_. That means she's a full blown gangster!"

"Maybe that's what she got busted for," he suggested.

"Why would she get busted for something like that?" one asked. "We're in the middle of a war, here! The thing that she fire nation is least worried about are gangs in the country. Those will all be taken care of once the fire lord rules all four of the nations, right? I mean, it's not like they would be the only gang. These days, you can find one in about every city you go to!"

"Well, considering the kind of power that she holds as an individual, I could only imagine what she had control of being a leader of a mob!"

"She might of been interfering with the fire lord."

"A gangster? Interfering with Fire Lord Ozai? I don't see how that's possible," one of the women asked. He had recodnized her from the day previous. She was one of the first people to hear about the escape and lived to tell the tale. He believed that them two were the only ones left. The gaurd that was talking with her the other day got busted. It wasn't surprising, now that he thought about it. He wouldn't keep his mouth shut about it that whole night.

"Man, this girl's more of a threat to him then the avatar. . ."

* * *

The battle was obvious to them that Katara didn't stand a stand, once she pissed her off. Katara jumped over her head, sending jets of water below her. Somehow, she managed to keep herself bone-dry under the jets. A hand was raised above her head, but none of them could tell what she was doing with it. All that Aang could see was a flash of light for only as long as the water covered her.

Katara was being flown off of her feet. She landed a good ten feet into the dark alleyway, landing on her shoulder blades. It was bizarre, he didn't see what caused the fall. It was like something was sent from the ground, rather from the palms of her hands.

Holly's feet were shifted.

"Aang, do something!" Sokka yelled.

But he couldn't. There was another flash. It was so bright, that it gave him temporary blindness. He rubbed his eyes impatiently, trying to go after Katara. He clumsily jumped off of Appa and stumbled down the other street.

He was too late. She was gone.

He didn't want to take it in for too long. He didn't her to get too far.

From where he was standing, he used his airbending to jump into Appa's saddle. He tearred through numerous packs, boxes, sleeping bags and other supplies that were strapped to the back, until. . .

"Got it!"

A blue glider came out of the now-messy pile of items.

"This isn't what I had in mind!" he complained.

"I'm going after her," he announced. "Take care of Katara for me."

He opened up the wings of his glider. He shot up into the sky vertically, causing all of the loose supplies to fly everywhere.

He was not going to let her get away with that.

* * *

**Expect an epic battle for next chapter :D**

**And pay attention to The Boiling Rock scenes, if you're really interested. There's a good reason why I'm putting those in. I put a lot of foreshadowing in those scenes, so I highly recommend to pay attention.**

**So let me know what you think about Holly. I'm keeping the ships simple with the series for now, but I'm not gonna worry about the romance until I get the plot across efficiently. Soo yeah, thanks for reading!**


	3. Blown Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Enjoy chapter 3 :)**

* * *

He arose above the entire city. He got a glimpse of what it looked like in more detail. Every building looked older then he was (not all of them were black, but all of them were dusty to some extent). He has never seen anything like it. . . There wasn't anyone to be seen. All of the roads were just as narrow as the one they landed in. He thought that it was going to be near impossible to find her in them.

* * *

Holly Wilson was standing on the highest rooftop. In all seriousness, she kept her eyes on the avatar. Never in her life has she seen an airbender. She wanted to learn from him. There was always something off about her "style of airbending".

The wind pushed her hair over the sides of her face. Her dirt-stained, half burnt, brown ripped prison clothes ruffled along with it.

* * *

Aang did not want to give up, but he knew that his own time was up. The one thing that he did manage to spot was Appa carrying the rest of the gaang in the air.

Something else came up. An enormous blimp was following their trail, marked with a fire nation insignia. Aang felt a rush of addrenaline in his stomach.

He didn't take the time to think about how the hell they got here so quickly, or how they knew that they were here. They came to the conclusion that they were after _them_.

Appa scooped him up as he closed his glider. The blimp was dangerously close behind them.

* * *

"Sir, the avatar and his friends are here, too!"

His eyes lit up in excitement.

* * *

"I'm going to try to rip the sides of it!" Katara yelled over the motor of the blimp. She released the water from her gourges, whipping it around her as much as she could to gain length and speed.

The attempt was futile and only made the situation worse. The water smacked against the metal blimp and spiralled to the ground right before her eyes.

"Aww, what do we do now!?" Sokka groaned.

"AHH!" Fire flew above their heads, missing them only by inches. It forced their faces to look straight up. Aang thought that he was looking at the sun. It was equally as bright. . . but it couldn't be. The sun doesn't move that quickly. He sat back up, realizing the same confusion with everyone else when he saw the real sun was behind them.

Katara felt the burning hatred in her back, especially in her shoulders. It made her fidget in the saddle, wanting to go after her.

But it was too late for her. Aang already took off.

* * *

Holly saw that she was being followed. She swore under her breath. She didn't want to attack him, but she did want him away from here. Her fire is terribly unpredictable and hard to control when you're not trying to actually hurt somebody with it, yet to shoo them away. She had no faith in her that she wasn't going to hurt him. Her best choice that she found suitable was to try to shake him off by his chase.

She rolled to the left, avoiding a jet of fire from the front of the blimp. Her idea was to strike from below. It was complicated, but hopefully it would make the avatar lose his course.

It was like she was diving into a pool of water. Her form was exactly that. Literally, she dove under the blimp.

Clearly, she underestimated him.

Which is why the plain failed. She simply could not perform it if he was going to be in the way. She came so close to pounding her skull against the incredibly thick metal. At the last second, she ducked as far as she could.

Something that she didn't mean to happen was to run into one of the buildings, causing loads of dust to rise in the air. The avatar rammed her against it.

He was right in her face when she opened her eyes, not even realizing that she was sliding down the building, ready to fall to the ground in so little time.

She coughed from all of the dust surrounding her. It became even worse when she was tossed around again by the avatar. She found it as a last resort to fight back. On one side, she knew that she deserved it. It's not very smart to attack someone when you're trying to tell them that you are one of them. On the other side, she also knew that she had to stop wasting her time with him so she can get rid of the real problem, but she found the only way to do that would be to return attacks.

At the last possible moment, she pushed her fire against the dry earth. It was just enough to have her land safely, but it wasn't enough to make her fly again. But now that she was on the ground, she was going to use it to her advantage. Now, she didn't have to use all of her power on remaining airborn. There had to be some way to get his attention with no harm.

* * *

Aang was ready to strike once he saw her vulnerable below him. He closed up his glider and landed himself, ready to use it to knock her off of her feet -

He couldn't see anything. The excruciating bright light was everywhere to be seen. He closed his eyes, but his eyelids were thin and did not take away all of the light. The temperature felt like it rose twenty degrees when it was already hot to begin with. All that he could hear was loud gusting noises. He couldn't even hear the blimp anymore.

"I AM ON _YOUR SIDE_!" a voice bellowed at the top of her lungs. "YOU CAN HATE ME FOR WHAT I DID, BUT JUST LET ME SAVE YOUR ASSES FIRST! THAT BLIMP UP THERE IS HERE BECAUSE OF _ME_!"

He felt like he just woke up from a nightmare. Everything went back to normal again with one _pop_.

What she said did make sense. He couldn't find a way around it. Yes, he can be mad at her another time, but now, he needs to save his friends. Nothing was going to be resolved by attacking Holly.

His eyelids lifted. Holly was standing so close to him -

_Something that felt supernatural was pulling his stomach _-

He looked straight into her eyes. He knew that they were different when he saw them first. They were pure golden. Under the sunlight, her pupils looked like a glistening white. They shone in a way that made them looked like they could glow in the dark.

Before he could study the rest of her, she flew back up in the air, stinging his eyes once more.

* * *

She spotted a plank in the very front of the blimp, where a man was standing on the edge. It appeared to be the one leading the mission.

Holly performed a sneak attack from behind. She grasped onto the armour resting on his shoulders and used it to swing herself around him. When she landed on the plank, she let go of him. She watched him pummell to the ground to his deaths. . .

She shook it off, just like she did with everyone else. She buried the guilt and set off into the blimp.

* * *

"Did you just see her? Did you just see what she did!?" Sokka was shocked out of his mind. First, it was that huge flying performance, then he wouldn't stop yelling throughout the whole scene with Aang, and now it was this.

"What did she do this time?" Toph asked, frustrated that she could never tell what was going on.

"She just took down the captain of the blimp in one move! And she just walked into - KATARA! SHE'S GOING TO TAKE THE WHOLE THING DOWN _BY HERSELF_!"

Aang managed himself back in the saddle. He looked utterly confused, but in complete shock.

"HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THAT!? YOU WERE COMPLETELY COVERED IN WHITE FIRE!"

But he felt totally fine. . .

He felt like his eardrums were shattering to pieces. Almost half of the blimp exploded.

It was one after another. It was followed by the other side of the blimp exploding.

Until there wasn't a blimp to fly anymore.

* * *

She couldn't breathe. Oxygen was non-existant.

She had to get herself out of there. She didn't really know where she was. The smoke was so black-thick that she couldn't see either, even with her unique eyes. This was going to be more of a challenge for her then taking down that blimp. She heard it crash into the city, making a good amount of the buildings crash, she assumed.

She calculated the time it took for the blimp to reach the ground. It gave her some way of knowing her surroundings. It was enough to guide her way out of the cloud of dangerous toxins, containing the gases that was running the blimp.

She coughed even more when she escaped the cloud. Now that she could actually breathe, she was able to actually cough. The fit went on for a good while. It was blurring her vision. The air that she was in was in poor shape. It made the situation much worse.

Her lungs weren't in the best of shape, either.

* * *

So the real question was. . . should they save her?

Aang knew that he wanted to.

So he took off again, now for the opposite reason.

* * *

**Yeah, lots of fighting going on in this chapter, and the pace is pretty quick, but I'm gonna slow it down next chapter.**

**Again, I did a lot of hinting in this chapter (some Kataang, even though I don't really like that shipping, honestly). Pay attention if you're that interested :p**

**I hope this gets my point across about how powerful my character is haha :D**


	4. A Change of Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Now that I read it again, I'm not too happy with my last chapter, but hopefully I can make it up with this one.. I'm not gonna skip from scene to scene as much either haha**

* * *

"Why are you here?"

Holly continued to walk in the cell with the most pissed off face you could ever imagine. In a way, it looked like she was smiling. She slammed the door behind her with such force that a gust of air whipped strands of hair over the side of her face and one of her golden eyes, avoiding to use them to look at the man in the back of the room. She didn't stop to think that she could be getting one of the gaurds' attention.

She raised her eyebrows and threw her arms up in the air. She came out and just said it. "They hate me."

"Hate is a strong word-"

"I didn't come here to be lectured." She talked in such a tone to sound like she was already fed up with what he had to say. She had expected him to be like this, she thought, it was written all over his face.

"You didn't?" he asked, ticking his head to the side in confusion. "Tell me, then: Why did you come here? I believe I've asked that just a moment ago."

"I came here for you to tell me what's next, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I told you this isn't gonna work out. They take one damn look at me and think I can't be trusted."

The old man nodded with question on his face as Holly told her story.

"The avatar ran into me at Haven City, like you said, but all I did was piss the waterbender off that was travelling with him - as well as the other two. I tried to keep my cool, I really did; but I couldn't just let them walk all over me like that!" she tried to explain. He showed no sign of persuasion. "So the waterbender smacked me in the face with her water; I lured her into attacking me. It wasn't much of a fight, of course, but I just wanted her out of my way. All she was was a distraction to the avatar's decisions. I could tell he was trying to give me a chance, but the waterbender was holding him back." She stopped herself from getting too deep, and went back to being angry. "It's probably his girlfriend or some shit. That's probably the reason why he came after me, now that I think about it. . ."

"The avatar attacked you?" he asked, finally sounding interested.

"Yeah, I took off after I beat the waterbender, but he followed me on his glider. It was pretty cool to watch, actually," she admitted. "I've never seen another person that could fly before - or an airbender, for that matter-"

"Please, don't get distracted."

Holly's face flinched, but she forced herself to continue. "The fire nation sent this big ass blimp after me. I thought that the avatar and his friends would forget about me for just a few minutes to take it down with me, but the avatar still went after me! And I didn't wanna hurt the kid, you know, so I was trying to lose him in the air again, but he was just as good as I was."

"The avatar is a master at airbending. Please, don't tell me you underestimated him," he said apologetically, burying his face into his hand. Holly dropped her eyelids, trying to ignore his plea.

"So I finally found a way to get his attention, he went back on his flying bison, and I took care of the air ship. 'Nearly suffocated myself with all the god damn smoke." Holly snorted, crossing her arms. She never kept her glance on one particular corner of the room, but it would be anywhere then looking in front of her. To this point, she began to count how many fruit flies were hovering just below the ceiling. She had never even noticed that it was hot in there. She looked for a window, getting distracted.

"How did you manage to escape?"

She flinched again, getting thrown back on earth. It took a while for the question to sink in. She tried to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal to her. She was supposed to be infuriated at the moment. Even though, the thought of what just happened only an hour previously gave her a warm feeling inside.

"He saved me," she told him, shrugging her shoulders and lowering her lip so fast that it looked like a twitch.

"The avatar saved you?"

Very quickly, she nodded.

There was a moment of silence between the two great benders. Much debating was going through Holly's brilliant (yet, totally normal) mind. She may be a genius under her skull, but she is also simply a girl well into her teenage years. There are shreds of normal under all of the tough skin of the greatest firebending master (She never called herself the greatest firebender in the world. People close to her on a personal level never knew why she would ever admit it). The more seconds that passed by, the more it erked her to say what was on her mind. She has avoided many things in her life, but it comes natural to her when she's under pressure. To come out and say something so out of character seemed like something that was necessary. Thoughts of a crush were blinding her.

He didn't look like he was going to say anything. If he would, then she would probably think that it wouldn't be important to her. If he had nothing else to say on his mind, then she was going to say what was going on in her's.

". . . He's kind of cute."

* * *

"So is that chick really a firebender? Or is she just playing tricks on us?"

Toph still couldn't get over the fact that Holly was a conjurer of white fire. She didn't even know what the color white was, but if it was bright enough for her to feel it radiate off of her pure porcelin skin, then it has to be of some kind of importance.

"I think she can do more then just firebend, Toph," Katara murmured, still upset about the run-in they had today. It bugged her more then the air ship that could have been ten times more hazzardous if they didn't have someone to save them.

"I don't think that's possible, unless you're the avatar," Sokka pointed out, making the acception of Aang. He was sitting on Appa's head, trying not to listen to their conversation. He still had mixed feelings about Holly. He liked her at first, he had to admit, but once she attacked Katara like that, he didn't have a choice; but at the same time, Katara was the one who made the first move. She wanted to attack her since the first time she laid eyes on her. And Holly also took that fire nation air ship down for them. . . if it was for them.

"Sokka, that crazy bitch can fly!"

Sokka opened his mouth to say something. There had to be a comeback of some sort, but he had to face it: that is not normal. He closed his mouth and pouted, looking outside of the saddle at the whispy clouds that they flew past. He calmed down one hundred percent ever since they left that deserted city. The rush left him when he couldn't see the place anymore.

"I still can't believe that after all of what she did, you still went out and saved her, Aang. . ."

Katara couldn't stop bringing that up the whole rest of the ride through the desert. To Aang, it was just plain annoying. He thought that after all that they've been through, she would understand. She knows that he thinks it's against his nature to let someone die right in front of him. It wasn't what the monks have taught him ever so long ago. It wasn't even worth explaining to her, anymore, since he has numerous other times. He sighed at her remark, beginning to recount what happened again. . .

_He was sitting on Appa on the other side of city, hovering in mid-air for the sake of watching what was going on. Even from being so far away, he could still see the suffering torture of not being able to breathe. Holly was hovering, herself. He could see the struggle in her firebending, not being to see her actual body from all of the smoke. The bright light would erupt, then give out, then erupt, and give out again to the point where it would be flickering to the speed of her breath._

_She was going to suffocate._

_Barely able to hear anything anyway, he ignored all of the comments his friends made as he took his glider back out and dived into the sky for her._

_It would take a long time by foot, but by flight, it wasn't as far. He thought that he was going to be too late, being slower on his glider than Appa. He increased his speed as much as possible. He watched the flickering light become more and more subtle. If she wasn't going to suffocate, then she might die from falling from the sky. Remembering his panic was hard. There was a sting in his heart every time he thought about it. There was a chance that she could have died._

_The cold, sharp air became even sharper the faster he flew. It whipped past his ears, making him nearly deaf. It stung his eyes to keep his eyelids lifted, but he took it. They were watering like crazy, but he didn't want to keep his eyes off of her for one second._

_Her fire was like a timer on a bomb._

_He thought that his time was out. He saw a body that looked as small as an ant falling out from the black cloud._

_Now that he looks back at it, he doesn't know how he got to her so fast. He felt like he was only halfway there when he saw her. But somehow, he got there just in time. The save wasn't very graceful. In fact, it was pretty sloppy on his part. Her unconscious body plopped on top of his glider right before they hit one of the near buildings. It took him a few seconds to get used to the extra weight. He flew dangerously close to the building before he shot back up again. Holly almost rolled off of his glider a few times before he landed on one of the rooftops. It took lots of concentration for him to glide so smoothly._

_Landing was the hardest part. He couldn't close his glider with Holly on top of it and he couldn't land without closing his glider. The only way was to act clumsily, once again. He rolled her gently off onto the roof so he could situate beside her._

_She layed on her side in an awkward position. Almost all of her hair was covering her face. The rest of it was planted in the black material styled to cover the building._

_He closed the blue wings back into his glider and tossed it to the side, sprinting to her rescue. He knelt down beside her. Carefully, he rested his hands on her waist, which were surprisingly hard a muscular, but still maintained a good shape. Rolling her over, he was forced to ignore all of these emotions he was having at once._

_Now that he was kneeling next to her, he didn't know what to do to save her if she wasn't going to wake up._

_She woke up on her own, making it a relief on his part._

_Her first exhale was astounding. The same black smoke that came from the cloud just above their heads exited her mouth. It was like she was coughing up water, yet it was so much different at the same time._

_Her brilliant golden eyes looked calm at first. She looked confused, wondeirng where she was and why. It was typical, he thought, even for someone as unique as her._

_The expression she gave was relaxing, but once he felt that feeling, it was suddenly destroyed as she narrowed her eyes at him. It went from that, to looking terrible angry._

_"What did you save me for?"_

_Before he could answer to her quiet, raspy voice, she spoke again._

_"I didn't need saving, I was fine by myself."_

_She got up like nothing had ever happened. Holly was standing on her own two feet, looking like she felt unharmed despite all of the scratches and burns along her body._

_"Um, you probably don't want to do-"_

_Aang shielded his eyes from Holly's fire._

_When the coast was clear, he watched her fly away up in the sky, passing the big explosion that she had just created._

_"that. . ."_

"Do you think we'll ever find a way out of this desert?" Toph asked, trying to bring up a conversation that didn't involve talking about Holly.

"Well, now that we have Appa this time, I don't think it'll be much of a problem," Katara said, trying to assure their safety. Though, she didn't want anyone else to know, she had a bad feeling that they weren't going to find another city for a while. The others were self-consciously feeling the same thing.

"What if we have to turn back?" she asked again.

"Toph, we are _never_ going back to that city, again. Were you even there when all of that shit happened?"

"Not really."

Katara's anger made her forget the fact that Toph didn't actually see it all because she's blind.

Aang had to really keep his mouth shut tight to prevent himself from saying nasty things to Katara. She has constantly been getting on his nerves ever since the incident, and he was getting so sick of it. The motherly things that she's been doing lately was really pissing him off.

He had the reigns in his lap. He was the one in control of where they went, not her. He could just turn right back if he wanted to. He didn't have to wait for her approval; Yeah, he could just pull left on one of the reigns and they could be going straight back to the city, where they would be a whole lot safer then being stranded on the desert - even if the fire nation was just there.

"God, I just can't believe it. . . I mean, why would you even talk to somebody in that way?"

"In what way? We were the one's giving her a hard time," said Sokka.

"Are you kidding me? If she wouldn't of-"

"Can you just drop it already!"

Aang turned his head around to look at her straight in the eye.

"Thank you, Twinkle Toes."

Aang didn't even care that he startled her, as long as she could just shut up about it for five minutes, he would really appreciate it. He turned his head back around and layed his head back, crossing his arms while doing so.

"I still refuse to go back to that filthy ass town."

That was it. Aang seized the reigns and turned their course around, despite Katara's loud bickering.

* * *

**Yup, I dumped the Kataang from the last chapter. Sorry, but it's not my kind of shipping.**

**I know not much went on, but again, I wanted to slow it down since so many things happened last chapter. Hopefully it's still just as good. :)**


	5. The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I feel like I'm talking to the wall when I do these things. If you are reading though, enjoy ^_^**

* * *

She couldn't believe how shocked he was to hear that. She didn't know if she did something wrong, like she always does? His head dropped a few inches before his jaw did. His golden eyes remained stagnant, but wide open. His long, shaggy hair fell in front of his face. His wrist that used to be resting upon his knee suddenly fell to the ground.

Holly took this as an offense. She lowered her eyebrows. "What?"

"You have agreed to participate in perhaps the most dangerous mission in the world. You have given your word that you would do whatever it takes to do your part in restoring balance. You were aware of the risks, but now I am beginning to doubt that," he said rapidly. The raging tension building up in the cell was palpable. Heat emitted off of the firebender and burned the fruit flies above, falling to the ground as crisp dust. Holly could feel her hair sticking to the sides of her face. There were, in fact, no windows in the room.

"Somehow, you are willing to tamper to the fate of our world by trying to make a relationship with the avatar?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Oh, but you damn well implied it!"

Holly stared at him. He had always treated her like she was so much older then she really is. She always had a feeling that she was expected of so much more then what she was capable of. She was always pushed to the limit with this man - ever since she was a child. Now that she is a fully realized firebender, they are at least of even match. She at least has room to object in certain situations, and this one was ridiculous to her.

"You know, Mainyu, we have also agreed to compromise for the time being. And for that, I will drop your ridiculous outbreak and pretend it never happened. Since you are obviously not doing a good job as 'mentor' in my mission, I will be on my merry way before the gaurds' lunch shift is over." She smiled slyly to the old man before she turned her back. Her thick-souled boots clicked against the metal floor when she walked to the door.

* * *

The gaurds' conversation was cut short when they heard the sound of clunky footsteps directly above them. Many of them observed the ceiling, expecting to figure out who it was just by doing so. The man stood there, though, waiting to see what they were going to do next. It wasn't every day when they would receive such an oppurtunity to get together with the whole staff for lunch. He felt like they would have no choice when it came to the unbelievable coincidence that has just occured.

"Who's that?" one not-so-with-it individual asked, confusingly staring at the black ceiling.

Instead of filing out of the room in an orderly manner, they impatiently crowded themselves through the doorway. The man felt no need to even look for her. He would already be the last one. Even though he was just as interested, he was also clausterphobic. Instead of pushing and shoving to look for someone that just might be Holly, he waited for the other twenty gaurds to make their way through.

"I knew I heard a door slam, earlier!" one said before he took off down the hallway. "But you guys wouldn't listen!"

* * *

Aang's neck felt like it was going to fall off at any moment. He has been resting his cheek into the palm of his hand for as long as he could remember. Not once has he tried to find a new position for the ride. He didn't feel the motivation too because he didn't want to lay his eyes off of the sky, where hopefully the city will be once they come to it.

Everyone else in the saddle was sleeping. The sun was going down already and this is what they have been doing half of their day. He wasn't sure that they were going to make it before nightfall. He didn't know what they were going to do, then. Make camp beside the city? Could Appa even make it back to where they were? The last place that they wanted them to stay was in the middle of an unknown desert.

He doesn't even remember why they left in the first place, but now he regrets doing it. He doesn't see the problem in staying there if Holly left, taking the air ship with her. If the city really is deserted, then it should be completely safe for them to stay for at least one night. Even if Holly did choose to come back. . . to be honest with himself, he wouldn't mind.

Holly was interesting to him. If she really is what she claims to be, then someone like her is really what he needs right now. By now, it would be hard for him not to believe her. If she took down the air ship, then she obviously isn't on their side. And just like she said: she wouldn't of attacked if she wasn't good. So if all of this is true, then what are her intentions? If she's not on their side, then who's side is she on? That part was still debatable.

Aang sighed. Maybe it really wasn't worth it to watch the useless clouds go by.

Appa must have felt the same way, because he fell asleep in the air. He was the first one to realize it. It was subtle at first, but they quickly began to pummel to the ground in a matter of seconds.

He clumsily crawled out of the saddle, down the front of his back and to his head.

He looked up just for a moment. The lower they descended, the more he stared at what was below them. The clouds surrounding them were black and definately not made of water. Suddenly, he couldn't see anywhere around him. Appa fell right into a huge cloud of smoke.

Fits of coughing arose, waking everybody else in the saddle. They wanted to ask what was going on, but they didn't have the strength to talk. Their lung capacity was lowered from one hundred to zero. Appa shook and wrathed in pain. He would rise a few feet, but then lower, then rise, then lower again. Aang felt the same struggle as his bison. It is nearly impossible to fly without being able to breathe.

Appa couldn't take it anymore. He dropped.

Strangely, that was exactly what they needed. They fell straight through the cloud of smoke. There was no time to catch their breath. Since Aang's head was already hanging off the side of his head, he was the one who saw it first. The large buildings from the city were only feet below them. Appa crashed into the one closest. Planks of wood varying from texture, size and shape were flown into the air (one almost wacked Aang in the face before he pulled his head back in). Sokka put his arms around Toph and pushed her as far into the saddle as possible. Katara desperately linked with them to avoid the same thing. Being under panic, they didn't seem to notice that half of their supplies unattatched themselves to the back of the saddle and flew with the rest of the wood. Aang felt his back being lifted from Appa's head more then once from so much impact. He instinctively put his arms around his eyes for his own protection.

The buildings were obviously not built that strong. The huge thing was no more then scattered wood that ranged from where the gaang landed on the ground and throughout the narrow road ahead of them. All of them were afraid to open their eyes. They weren't convinced that the danger was over. It took them a few moments to adjust that they were finally still. Aang's arms slowly slid from the sides of his head. Katara let go of Sokka's arm, who reluctantly let go of Toph, who was afraid to open her own blind eyes.

Their surroundings were incredibly fogged up with dust from the fall. The ground was covered in now-useless items to them. Some of their food was splattered across the dry dirt. Some of the water was spilled from the pots to form mud around the sides of Appa's feet.

From Aang's perspective, the first thing that he saw was the sky above. It was invisible to him, to the extent that it was unrecodnizable. The smoke floated just above the next building that was not affected by Appa's fall. It looked like it was in the same spot that it was when he first saw it earlier today. There must be no wind at all in here. That would be the logical reason, but he still felt like there had to be something spiritual about it - even more so for the fact that they managed to survive the deadly fall from being almost at the top of the troposphere.

He sat up, not wanting to take the possibilites any further. He looked at the other three in front of him. "Are you all okay?"

Katara and Toph didn't look like they wanted to answer, but Sokka replied, "Yeah, are you?"

* * *

Holly did not feel like flying again, considering that she has been for half of the day. It took her hours to fly all the way back to The Boiling Rock, and now she has to leave again. But she didn't know where she was going back to. She was never told what to do next. Yes, she knew that she was not going to give up on her mission, but she didn't think that she was going to find them tonight. They're probably long gone, by now, she thought. She didn't see them leave, but it only seemed obvious to her that they would.

If they weren't going to be in Haven City anymore, then she did have the choice in returning there. Being there during the night was not always the best choice. The people that lived there could be called nocturnal. It's not that they sleeped during the day. They chose to hide during that time to avoid being seen by the fire nation. Being out at night was their only stradegy, and it has been working for some people for many years.

She was expected to have nothing to worry about when it came to that city, but she felt like she had too much weight on her shoulders. She still shivered through her spine whenever she would remember the things that happened in that city when she stayed there when she was much younger. Mainyu would tell her that she has changed too much to be worrying about it now, but she could beg to differ. It was a mob that they were talking about.

Holly left The Boiling Rock just in time, of course. Again, she made some major damage to his jail cell while exiting. Instead of the wall being blown out this time, it was the ceiling. It gave her a terrible headache for crashing into such a hard metal. It made her vision blurr into fuzzy images for a good few minutes until she left the island. The whole flight, though, the headache remained.

Halfway into the desert, the moon rose. The moon arose at the worst time for her. She had nothing to live off of for a night. All that she had was the clothes on her back. She simply could not fly under the moon's conditions. Her fire was weak under the moon. Almost week enough to lose its bright color at times. It certainly wasn't strong enough to hold her up anymore. Even it it would, her arms would have gave way at some time. She had the biceps that were twice the size of a normal girl's arm. It was unbelievable to think that she could fly so long in the daytime. Holly still cursed at her great strength for making her spend the night in a freezing desert.

She landed in a pile of sand. A good chunk of it filled her already-dry mouth. It gave her a nasty taste on her tongue. All of the sand absorbed all of the liquid that she had left in her. She thought that spitting it out was the obvious thing to do.

The whole night, that dry taste never left her. Neither did that cold wind against her fiery body. Her natural opposite was torturing her in her need of sleep. She prayed to the spirits to be granted something to be nuertured with. She had absalutely nothing. She never did have anything for more then a few weeks. Things would just come and go in her life. And she was sick of it. She wanted an end to this way of living. No one deserves to be living like this. It wasn't just for her sake, it was for everyone's. She had a good reason for turning her back on her own people. She felt like she was so close to getting her wish of eternal balance. But they weren't quite there yet.

* * *

The gaurds piled up in the tiny jail cell, leaving Mainyu to scowl in the dark corner of the room. He appeared to not exist in the room, where the giant hole in the ceiling was getting the main attention from everyone.

"She got away again."

One last gaurd entered the room and studied the magnificent hot metal still burning at the corners. They had to be careful to not have liquid metal dropping onto their skin and potentially burning it.

"What do we have to do now, send the Fire Lord after her? It seems like he would be the only one able to stop her!"

"That ain't a bad idea, Lee," Chen mumbled.

"We might not be able to send the Fire Lord after her, but maybe someone else can!" the woman proposed, raising a finger in the air.

"And who in the hell do you think can stop someone like _her_?"

The woman smiled, eventually laughing to herself.

"Well, his son and daughter, of course!"

All of the gaurds looked at each other, not realizing the panicking prizoner in the background.

* * *

**Well there it is! Not particularly as long as I wanted for a chapter, but I guess the longer paragraphs make up for it. Don't be a jerk, if you read this, then tell me what you think!**


	6. The Unthinkable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**First Appearance: Zuko! :D**

* * *

Holly was, by all means, in the most worst condition to ever come in contact with the fire nation again. Laying completely exposed in an open desert wasn't exactly the greatest idea on her part. Her all-brown outfit could be mistaken for a unique rock to some folks passing by, but the fire nation had technalogy in their hands. The airship gliding by was equipped with various gadgets to enhance their sight of what was below them. The loud motor and strong winds were barely enough to get Holly's attention.

She gained consciousness, but she had no strength to move just yet. The last time that she has eaten anything was when she had the terrible food that was delivered at The Boiling Rock. She has managed to a few sips of water here-and-there between every mission that she was assigned. It wasn't enough to keep her fully awake at the crack of dawn.

Something did snap her out of it. It was the sense of firebenders. They were near. Holly lifted her head, running her eyes from side to side, studying the air ship that has landed about fifty feet away. In a matter of seconds, she recieved all of the information that she needed by looking at it. It was far from a mere glance, but it lasted for that long. She dropped her head back in the rough sand.

Holly's hearing was impaired. It was difficult to hear when they were going to approach. She has relied on sight for her whole life. These were one of the times when being almost half-deaf could lead her back into prison.

She decided that she was going to go along with whatever the fire nation was going to do with her. If they kept going south, then she would stay on the ship and hop off when they would reach Haven City. If the turned around and went north, then she was just going to have to take the whole thing down. After she got something to fill her stomach. . .

"Is that her?" a young man's voice asked demandingly. It made Holly's face twitch from the tone he was using. To the soldiers working for him, she felt sympathy. "Pick her up!"

Holly shut her eyes just in time to be lifted from the ground. She didn't have time to take a breath in order to hold it. That might just give herself away. Her lungs can't keep the same breath for so long. The only way that it could be possible, is if she were to firebend. Firebending required breathing the poisonous toxins called smoke - and she just happened to be firebending a lot, lately.

She could feel somebody walking very close to her, then stopped right in front of her.

She waited.

A thumb forced one of her eyelids open. She had a chance to glance at the person examining her. This person looked about her age. He had dark hair that hung just below his eyebrows. He seemed like he was about a foot taller then her, but she felt like that with everybody. Something that really stood out to her was a large scar over the side of his face. She knew what those felt like. Holly has quite a few of them, herself, but none that are visible on her own face.

It took her until her eyelid dropped again to notice the cold-hearted look he had in his golden eyes. It took her a few moments to let it sink in that he looked exactly like she does when she's angry. Something was straining him. Holly made a judgement that this young man has had a hard life, and she accepted that for future purposes.

"Take her inside."

* * *

The air smelled like smoke. It was the first thing that he smelled when he awoke that morning. It wasn't a welcoming scent.

The material below him wasn't comfortable at all. It felt like he was laying on metal springs with a blanket thrown on top of it. The pillow under his head felt like newly-plucked feathers with a thin cloth wrapped around it. The cloth under him had a distinct smell to it, as well. He didn't feel like he was in a fresh atmosphere, at all.

The wall was dark brown, but not made of wood of any kind. It appeared to be made out of some kind of rock. Some of the rock was crumbling in some corners, which gave away the fact that the walls surrounding him were very old. He almost fell out of the bed he was in when he tired to roll over. The bed was tiny. If he were any taller, then his feet would be hanging out of the end of the poorly made mattress.

Aang swung his legs over the bedside and rubbed his eyes for an attempt to focus them. He thought that it was him that was making everything blurry in the room. He couldn't see much in front of him.

He opened his eyes again, but it didn't make much of a difference. He squinted directly in front of him, wondering why his eyesight was so poor - Until he realized that it wasn't him that was making things fuzzy.

Smoke was filling the whole room to the point where Aang couldn't see the wall in front of him. All that was visible were clouds of gray, ranging from different tones, depending on the height. From where he was sitting, it looked like he was the only one occupying the small room. There must not be any windows in here, either.

"Hello?" he asked. "Is anybody here?"

Sharp pains shot up his legs. He tried to stand up straight, but he couldn't help but be distracted by his confusion. He lowered his eyes and head to study himself.

He must have put up some good fight. . . Not that he remembered.

"Shehr, I think he's up."

"Already? Damn, that shit should've knocked him out for the day."

"Yeah, I heard him say somethin'."

Aang looked all around him, but he was unsuccessful. He didn't see one way out of this room.

"Go check 'em out, then!"

"Why don't you go check?"

"You're the one that heard him first, you dipshit."

He heard the sound of a chair screetching against an old wooden floor. There must be a doorway somewhere that he's not seeing. Perhaps, this room wasn't as small as the thought it was.

More of he felt the vibrations then hearing the man step into the room. He could feel the intimidation in his footsteps. Why was he so scared to see him? He doesn't even know this man. He doesn't recall ever stepping foot into a place like this, too. It was now when he decided to panic. The feeling of this place was making him sick inside. He felt empy, and he couldn't figure out why.

"Uh. . . avatar?"

How did he know that he was in here, anyway? Was he captured?

What did happen last night?

"Are you awake, avatar?" he asked hezitantly.

There was no reply

He felt like someone took a hammer to his chest and shattered his heart.

* * *

What would be the best time to let them know that you're not actually "sleeping"?

The air ship was identical to the one that she destroyed just the day previous. The first time that it was done, she almost died in the process. If it weren't for the avatar, then she probably wouldn't be alive. She didn't want to throw it all away again just by trying to take down yet another air ship. There has to be another way to get out of the mess that she's in.

Being pulled by her clothes and dragged by her feet was really starting to bug her after a while. She didn't have a clue where they were going to take her. She didn't know how long she could withstand it. She could just "wake up" right know and defeat everyone before they even start the air ship up again. It could be done, but the question was: Would that be the right thing to do? Holly was never one to think things through until she was set onto this mission. If she made on mistake, then everything could be ruined. One thing could lead to another, if she got caught in the moment. That was just what she was afraid of. If she took down one firebender, would she want to take down even more? Would it escalate to the entire air ship?

Holly was avoiding her power. She felt it to be a wise choice, considering that power isn't always everything. She has learned that the hard way when she got involved with the mob back in Haven City. Ever since she gave up the job as being leader, she has always wanted to be at the bottom of society.

She heard a very large door open, similar to the doors back in the prison. For Holly, it was like Deja Vu. The gaurds that dragged into the air ship threw her into a jail cell. She never knew that air ships contained prisoners like her. Maybe this ship was different somehow, she thought. The room that she was thrown in was much different then the one in The Boiling Rock. It became nearly pitch black in the room when the gaurds shut the large metal door. It appeared to be old. She could smell the dust in the air and her palms were full of it from trying to catch her fall.

White fire erupted from Holly's palm: The room was even dirtier then she thought. She looked down at her own body. . . And so was she.

It was time for a new outfit.

Her teenage ways got the best of her. Holly stood up straight into a stance and kicked the door with her firebending with enough impact to make the hinges break. The door flew across the hallway and slammed against the wall. The loud noise didn't affect her. She only heard half of its full blast. She wasn't able to realize that the noise attracted more people then she intended to.

Holly sensed that there were about a dozen of firebenders in her reach. She had the choice to do the unthinkable. It would be easier on herself, but she knew that it wasn't the _right_ thing to do, as Mainyu would preech to her. But frankly, she didn't see a problem with it. They have killed so many innocent people in their own lives, so what is it to say that it's not fair to end theirs?

She went through about three of them so far. She tried to throw them in a neat pile inside the empty jail cell behind her, but there wasn't enough time for games. There were a lot more firebenders on her hands then she was expecting. This was the first time that she figured that her senses have failed her once again.

The hallway wasn't entirely enclosed. There was a gate about her height that blocked off the sides. She saw that above her, there were many series of pipes and gadgets that were running the ship. She could easily blow one of them off right this moment, if it was the _right_ thing to do. After so much useless lectures, Holly really started to get tired of his voice returning to her head so many times.

"Do you really think that it's safe to be lighting fire right beside a running engine?" a girl's voice said. Everyone in the small hallways subconsciously stopped attacking.

Holly looked at her sternly. "Try tellin' your men that."

There was no reply. Holly continued on a lighter note.

"I'm serious. If I was firebending, then you would know," she snickered. "I just used all of your fire to my advantage, so-"

"Oh, you just have an answer for everything, don't you?"

Holly gave her a questioning look, lowering her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, but usually when someone asks a question, I answer it?"

"What are you waiting for, Azula?" another voice asked. She recodnized it as the guy with the scar back in the desert.

He got in his stance -

Holly was the first one to notice. She was able to guide his fire as far away from the engine as possible and lead it into her half-opened mouth. All of it was being sucked in in only a few seconds.

The people surrounding at her stared. Holly's eyes widened in shock. Her eyebrows went the opposite as they were only moments ago. The people closest could notice her skin turning a glowing red. Holly felt like she was going to explode. It had to get out of there before it exited out of the pores of her burning skin. The closest room was the jail cell to her right.

So that's where she let it out.

"What the hell was that?" the guy asked.

"Uh, I think she just regurgitated your own fire, Prince Zuko," one of the men explained.

Holly burst out laughing.

"Don't you know if I would've let that go then we'd all be dead?" she said between her breaths. She must not have heard the man's explination because she carried on like no one was surprised at her firebending move. By this point, she didn't care what other people thought of her at the moment. She has caused so much commotion already. Her plan of riding this air ship all the way back to Haven City mine as well be called a failure, Holly thought. She did not see any way that they were going to keep her on here after her performance.

"So what do we do with her now, your hinesses?" another man asked.

It appeared that the guy didn't have a clue how to answer his question, but the girl knew. "We'll take her to the coolers, where she can't firebend her way out," she ordered.

The young man was the first to notice Holly's odd glances that she would give to both him and the girl in front of her. Once Holly noticed his confusement, she asked, "You two are related, aren't you?"

There was a pause before one of them came up with something to say after her random question.

"You don't know who we are, do you? You have no idea that my brother and I are royalty?"

Holly grinned. Her teeth were straight, but yellow in some places with the lack of nourishment. In the bottom-left corner of her jaw, there was a fake tooth that happened to be golden. When she smiled, dimples were formed in the back of her full cheeks. Her eyes changed shape like they had their own expression. Her eyes appeared to be glowing just a little brighter.

"Our father is the Fire Lord."

Now, she was terrifying. She growled, with it followed by a series of white contents erupting from her flaring nostrils and gritted teeth. It was the first time that the two of them have ever saw white fire before. They thought that the rumors weren't true, because they were raised to think that way. They couldn't help but take a step back to give her space.

Her actions thoroughly explained everything. It made things so clear for the two siblings: This is what a true master looks like.

* * *

**Sorry that there's so much Holly in this chapter and not enough of the gaang. The scene with Aang in it will be explained next chapter :)**


	7. Taking Charge

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I'll try to write more about the gaang this time. The scene from last chapter probably sounded really random, so here's the explination :)**

* * *

_It was a blast of fire that started it all. Once Aang saw that flash of light, he knew that there was going to be trouble._

_There wasn't just one or two men in the distance. The men were coming by the dozens. All of them looked very unique in their own ways. To him, they appeared to be of a foriegn culture. He could see lots of tattoos and piercings on all of them. The piercings could be on their ears, through their nostril's, their septums, eyebrows, lips, or bellybutton. Some of the more middle-aged men looked like they had gauges. The tattoos were horrifying. They looked like mythological creatures or monsters from the spirit world, and some were mere designs from all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some looked like religious symbols._

_There were women in the group. He could spot three in the incoming crowd. Their choice of clothing was very exquisite. They had their own share of body piercings and tattoos. All three of their hair was long that came down to their hips. One of the woman's hair had half of it tied back in braids. The other's was parted to the very far left. To the right of her head, it was buzzed with a zig-zag design. The third had blonde wavy hair that was naturally parted in the middle. Two wore very tight black pants that were ripped around their knees and thighs. Their shoes matched the men's, which were pitch black boots that had metal souls; the shirts were ripped just below their breast to expose a piercing through their belly button. One shirt was black, the other was a forest green. The third woman had the same black top, but had a ripped green skirt that went down to the middle of her thighs. She was tall with long legs and she carried a bow and arrows around her shoulder. The other two appeared to be some type of benders._

_The men's weapon of choice would either be a bow and arrows, a sword (a few had weapons that he couldn't recodnize), or large lit torches that were almost six feet tall and as wide as a log._

_They attacked quickly with no time to spare for second thoughts. The gaang's instinct was to fight. There was no time to retreat. Appa was too tired to fly any further. He was still suffering from the great fall that had just occured._

_Katara was the first one to fight back by water whipping the ones who got too close. The closer that they came, the more scary they looked. All had a serious look on their face like they were some kind of animal. He thought that he heard a few growls from the crowd, but he couldn't quite be sure. Some were just plain screaming. He didn't understand._

_"Katara, there's too many of them! We have to hold back!" Sokka bellowed. Suddenly, they heard the sound of their torches clunking against the dry ground._

_All of them were surrounding Appa. Katara was then forced to get back in his saddle before they burned her with their torches or pierced her with their arrows. Aang put a dome of rushing air around them to deflect the arrows. It was taking away his stamina fast. He could not get distracted from doing anything else._

_Appa tried to help out by throwing them in the air with his tail, but the fire was getting to him. He could feel the heat brushing up against his fur. More and more kept coming out of nowhere. Their only chance of escaping was for Appa to fly out of here, but the flying bison was in too much panic to move, much less tired from flying all day._

_It took one moment for Aang to catch his breath for them to seize the chance. They crawled onto Appa like desperate animals reaching for food. Toph and Sokka were the first ones to be in their clutches. Two men had their arms around them with a threatening knife resting against their throats. One looked dangerously thin with dark layered hair that reminded him of Holly, except in the version of a male. The other that was holding Sokka had incredible muscles that looked unnatural for any human. He had a curved, dark piece of metal shoved through his septum. His hair met his extremely built waist and in the style of dread locks._

_He heard Toph scream in surprise. In Appa's saddle, she wasn't aware of her surroundings. Sokka yelled at the top of his lungs for assistance._

_Katara managed to let Toph free. Her water knocked the man off of his feet, sending him back into the rubtle to the ground. She looked as if she felt a sense of accomplishment for helping her friend._

_Aang had to take his eyes off of her to save Sokka - and now himself. He was grabbed more then once. A few times he was almost pulled to his feet. Being an airbender was the only advantage that he had. He was the only one that could find all of the angles and tricks to get out of the sticky situations in the battle._

_No matter what he tried, he couldn't get the man off of Sokka. He was too strong. He could keep the two of them on Appa, but once he got the chance to give the final blow, it was ineffective. He was too stubborn and horrifying to let go of him. Sokka looked helpless. His skin was turning different colors from the man's arm being too securely around his neck._

_"AANG!"_

_He whipped his head around: Katara was being dragged by her feet through the crowd. It looked like there were hundreds of them piling up in the narrow street. The entire area was illuminated by fire-light -_

* * *

"_WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS!?_"

Before the man had time to answer, he sent him flying backwords with his airbending. He felt like something was burning in his chest. Then, he felt like something was burning in the corners of his eyes.

"WHAT'S GOIN' ON BACK THERE!?"

The smoke was cleared out from Aang's airbending. It gave him a better view of what room he was standing in. The only other furniture in the room were two old bunkbeds that were lined up next to each other against the old brown wall. He sent the man in the other direction where the wall was blank.

He wanted to move forward, but he was stopped by a naucious feeling in the pit of his stomach. The feeling was making him feel loopy on his feet. It confused him greatly because he didn't remember anything after he saw Katara being carried away. He felt his lip tremble, following up from his tears. He sniffed his nose, trying to hold back - he coughed from taking in too much smoke.

"What the hell are you doin' down there? Get up!"

"What do we do with him, Shehr? He just knocked me off my god damn feet!"

"Don't act tough around him, Bvilo, you'll just scare 'em off. You gotta luer him in, that's the only way we can hand him over to the boss."

Aang marched over to where he was hearing the voices. He sliced the smoke out of his way again with his airbending. The wind bounced off the enclosed walls and were sent in different directions. He could feel the wind rushing past his ears with a whooshing noise.

"Hold it, avatar!" The man that was standing held a hand up for mercy. He was blurry from the dense fog surrounding them all.

Aang hezitated. "Where did you take my friends!?" he asked again, still expecting an answer.

"We'll tell you where your friends are" the one standing told him. "If you are willing to cooperate."

* * *

As soon as she felt someone grab her wrist, she flipped them over. Holly was not going to be sent back into that jail cell. She has been living in one for the past month under Mainyu's orders to gain information about the war. She has had enough of being treated like dirt - especially from these people. Now that she knows that these two are the fire lord's children, she despises them.

The daughter finally decided to try to take her down herself. It appeared that she had the same level of tolerance as Holly.

She wasn't aware that Holly mine as well have the best eyesight in the world on top of being the greatest firebender. She noticed that she was hiding a knife under her sleeve. Holly wanted to end her life right there, but she wanted to set things straight first:

Holly slammed her against the metal wall to the right of her. With the muscle that she had, she knocked the wind out of her. Some of the gaurds swore that they saw the walls vibrate from the impact. They saw the knife being tossed over the edge of the gate.

"You might think that you're tough shit because you're the daughter of that bastard-of-a-dictator Ozai, but let me be the first one to tell you that you _don't_ get to decide when I live or die!"

The girl had a hard time listening to her. Her main priority was to try and get some air into her lungs to get her blood to start pumping again. It made her brain feel fuzzy and ache like crazy. The grip that Holly had on her shirt was so tight that her knuckles turned white against her tan skin. Soon enough, she burned the cloth to crisp, allowing her feet to drop back onto the floor. Holly was inhaling and exhaling her own white smoke. It took her a long while to take her eyes off of her. The girl was astounded by the color of them, just like everyone else was.

Holly turned around. The twelve or so men covered themselves in fear -

She grabbed the girl's wrist just in time. Her fire-dagger was nearly a centimeter away from puncturing her skin.

"Blue fire," Holly announced, frowning at the fire that was still in her hand. "No kidding?"

She felt the girl try to take her wrist back. Mentally, she rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe that she didn't know the simple move of how to get out of someone's grasp. That was something that a beginner should know, as so Holly thought.

"What color is yours?" Holly asked, turning to the young man and letting go of the girl's wrist. "Purple?"

"Wait until I tell my father about you!" the girl yelled between her breath's.

"You would do that for me?" Holly asked, pretending to be pleasantly shocked. She rested her palm against her chest with a fake smile upon her face. "Can you let him know that I'm going to kill him before he tries to use Sozin's Comet to his advantage as a plot to take over the world? 'Cause that would be great!"

"You're a traitor! You're a traitor to your own people!"

"You see, that's where you're wrong, Princess," Holly explained. She was now pacing back and forth between her and her brother. "Those are not my people because I am not a part of the fire nation. And why would I ever call you sick animals my people? I can't even call you fuckin' people! You're a violation against nature!"

Holly's words were escolating to the point where some people couldn't tell what she was saying. Half of them pretended to understand what she was saying. Her words sounded colorful. The girl's brother put his hand in his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Holly apologized. "I forgot. None of you speak ghetto. That's my bad, it's silly of me to talk in a tongue like I'm some kind of mobster."

Whoever they were standing next to, the gaurds' stared at in equal shock.

"So the rumors are true," said the brother.

"So I know that both of you are royalty 'n shit, but I'm afraid I didn't catch your names." Holly turned around and looked at the brother for answers, for he was the one who has spoken last. "If you're gonna keep me on this air ship of yours, then I that that'll be necessary."

The young man stared at him with the same exact look that she has when she was angry. It was bizarre for her. They were alike in more ways then one. Holly stared back. She tried to hide their similarities by faking another expression. She was really just as angry and confused as he was. She felt that her pain was connected with his.

Holly did almost a complete one-eighty when she flipped her hair, leaving her eyes exposed to the crowd of people.

"I am Prince Zuko, heir to the fire nation. And that's my sister, Princess Azula."

"Prince Zuko," Holly said. "I'm familiar with that name-"

"Surely, you must be familiar with my name!"

Holly's eyes rolled slowly to the other side of her. Her brilliant golden eyes were no comparison much brighter then her's and the rest of the firebenders. There was a certain twinkle in them that made you wonder. Azula thought that she was going to beat her senseless. She wanted to turn away, but there wasn't any place to run to. She could only back up as close to the wall as she could. She thought that she felt an imprit of her body in the metal.

"Unfortunately."

Zuko's hand met his face once again. Azula didn't know what to do with this girl. The rest of the men wanted to leave in a quiet manor as if they were never there. They were afraid, though, that they would be banished from their jobs. For most of them, this was the only thing that they had to support them. In the times of war, they didn't want to risk anything.

"You don't happen to have anything to eat, do you?" Holly rubbed her stomach forward and back along with pacing. After a few rubs, her brown shirt lifted to reveal six hard-as-a-rock abs lined up perfectly to match her hourglass figure (To some, her curvy figure shocked a few of the younger men in the crowd - as well as Zuko). A foreign-crafted piece of metal pierced her skin just above her belly button. It was the color of any piece of metal. At the bottom, there held a stud that represented a red emerald. Holly seemed to not notice that her stomach was exposed and continued to mind her own business until someone pumped up the courage to answer her question.

"Why would we feed _you_?" Azula asked.

"If you're gonna turn me into your dad, then I suggest that you keep me alive in the meantime," she told her. "I haven't eaten anything in days."

Azula opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Before she could say anything, Holly continued.

"Either way, I'm gonna get some damn food. That's pretty much the only reason why I went along with your plans to pick me up from the desert. I wasn't really sleeping, you know, a normal person would wake up if someone was throwin' you around like that." Holly, again, turned to face the rest of man. "Who were the two that dragged me in this flying piece of shit?"

* * *

Aang stood there. He felt like his feet were planted into the dusty ground below him.

Was there any way that he could get out of this?

* * *

Zuko gazed into the crowd. None of them were courageous enough to speak up. He felt ashamed to have these kinds of people working for him. He could only imagine what Holly will do to them when they confess.

Holly was in charge now.

She walked past Azula for the first time since they met. The crowd instinctively made a walkway for her.

"Was it you? Was it you? No? Got no idea?"

* * *

"That's better," the man teased. "Now, come here."

He wished that he wouldn't of said that. He didn't look like someone that could be trusted. His smile was too big. His eyes were too inviting for him to feel comfortable. Nonetheless, he shifted his weight forward. The men weren't too far away from him, anyway, what good will ten feet do?

* * *

"Do you know who it was?"

Finally, someone nodded.

"Who?"

He pointed to the very back of the crowd. The crowd looped around a corner, where you had to climb a small flight of metal stairs. The men responsible seemed to be hiding back there, figuring that she wouldn't notice.

"Don't ever underestimate these eyes of mine," Holly advised as she reached the end of the hallway.

Holly stopped in front of the two men.

* * *

Aang stopped in front of the two men.

* * *

**Cliffhanger bitchhh**

**jk, whoever takes the time to read this is pretty awesome (:**


	8. How to Save a Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I've recently just recieved a review that has reminded me that I haven't made this clear yet: I didn't put myself in this story. I'm a dumbass when it comes to naming my characters, so she just happens to have mine temporarily. I'm pretty sure I don't have a six-pack, have crazy hair, or used to belong to a gang. lol we're very much different :p**

**Although, my character Mainyu has a meaning to his name from Greece/Rome(??), but if I tell you now, then it'll give part of the story away. If you want to spoil it, though, then google it :)**

* * *

Holly laughed. She laughed like this was some kind of a game. Their terror was her power. The men had to be at least two feet taller then she was. That was what got her the most. Everyone that she has known in her life were taller then she was. She wasn't even visible from Azula and Zuko's point of view. All that they could see was a gap in the crowd of people. It was like the firebenders were looking at a small ferocious chihuawa.

"Shall I steer this boat?" she asked, wiping her tears against the skin of her wrist. The two men especially felt humiliated.

* * *

Aang felt humiliated when the two men burst out laughing from his cowering of fear and confusion. He felt a pain of loneliness burn in his heart for his friends. He couldn't help but think of the worst possibilities. He put the blame on himself, of course. He was the one who wasn't trying hard enough to stop them, he thought. He thought that he could've done more that night - He didn't know if it was last night, exactly. It could've been days ago, for all he knows. His friends could be anywhere by now.

If he wanted to find his friends, then he was going to have to try a lot harder then this to get them back. Aang is the avatar. He reminded himself of that. If he's about to defeat the fire lord in a couple of months, he needed his friends by his side. His pain of loneliness was set aside, gradually transforming into rage. His love for his friends gave him the strength to attack those men.

* * *

"I command you all to attack her!" Azula yelled. Everyone in the crowd hezitated at first (A few shook their heads, and one looked like he was about to vomit on another's back). A few of the selective over-confident ones decided to be the ones to break the ice and make the first move. Holly was surrounded by all of these firebenders. She was only inches apart from about five people, she could assume in seconds before they attacked. Holly thought about what to do in this desperate situation. She was not in a good condition to fight. She felt whoosy from the lack of food for so many days, and only drops of water to keep her on her wobbly feet. She would most definately lose in time. In her raising, she mentally claimed her choice to be necessecary.

Her forearms moved slowly. The other firebenders blasted all of the fire that they had in them. They didn't seem to have any effect. In fact, it looked like she didn't notice them at all. It was like she was protected by a shield that could not be detected.

Then, they were locked in place. Her forearms stopped with great force. They crossed each other at a certain point to form an X. Zuko and Azula watched her movement. She looked as though she was punching the air with both fists with an extra swing to it. There was no visible fire involved.

The firebenders dropped. They did not drop one-by-one - not individually in any way. One thing did not lead after another. All was the opposite. Everyone fell off of their feet all at once. They were one big living creature that appeared to be electricuted: If you were to be struck by lightning starting from the ground-up. For one moment, the feet flew a few inches in the air, unsuspended.

Each one's fall was not the same. One would fall on their face, one would land on their back, some would go any other way that was naturally possible. No one thought to catch their fall, which confused Zuko from the other side of the room and down the hallway. He was able to feel the vibration impact from where he was standing, but he was not affected by her unusual attack of murder.

The only people left standing were Azula, Zuko and herself.

"How did you do that?" Azula asked demandingly, yet shockingly. She scanned the crowd of dead men laying on the cold, metal floor. Her mouth layed half-open with her lower lip slightly lower then it should be. Shadows were casted below her eyes, falling with the rest of her face. The only thing that was lifted were her black-as-ash eyebrows.

It wasn't until now that Zuko noticed that he was shaking. He was able to move all of it into his hands, making them tremble twice as much. He felt like his body was still vibrating. His ears started to ring from the sudden absence of sound. His eyes felt moderately painful from the change of scene. Everything was causing his head to build an ache that followed the rythm of his heartbeat.

Holly's head was so low that her unique hair slid down to hide her face. She held her hands up to her covered face, getting feeling back into her fingertips. They moved in slow waves from her pinky to her thumb. Her veins exposed themselves around her overly large knuckles that proved the presence of muscle. The veins followed the movements of her fingers. They shot up her arm: Holly had biceps that could be argued as nearly as large as Zuko's. He has never noticed them until now. When the muscles were not flexed, they looked strong.

She lifted her head, avoiding the need to push her hair out of her face. Her face reflected a metallic color just below her eyes. "I'm getting some food, and then I'm leaving."

* * *

They were firebenders. To him, it looked like their form was off; but really, it was foreign. He didn't understand why he has never known about these kinds of people for all of his one hundred and twelve years. He couldn't grasp the concept of what these people really were. They had no respect for the rules of their bending. They would recklessly chuck as much fire as they could at him, not realizing what damage they caused (they looked like they didn't have a care in the world, either). They were obviously not taught professionally, according to Aang. They were quite a match for him, but they could cause more damage to themselves or their surroundings.

Aang ended up accidentally running into the other room. His "bedroom" was so too full of smoke. Again, he thought of Holly, trying to put himself in her shoes from the previous day.

When he thought that he was safe, he suddenly tripped over a table that was randomly set in the middle of the room. He didn't have any time to look around. The other men were already running into the same room. Smoke billowed out of their mouths with equal bitterness. The smoke was gray, just as the rest of it floating in the air was.

A slab of earth shot up out of the ground. He just not realized that that was what the floor was. Aang was in his stance like nothing had ever happened. The table was kicked to the side to give him room. He knew now that he didn't need it anymore. The men were shot up and out of the room. His large piece of earth shattered the old wooden roof above his head. He was safe.

He let out a large sigh of relief. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. There were beads of sweat dripping from his face. Their fire couldn't be the same as the fire nation's. He felt like he was in a saunna from the lack of windows. And he was tired from so much lack of oxygen. He was only breathing at least half of the air he was used to. Everything else was the terrible-smelling smoke.

His weight shifted to his left. He took a step to the side uneasily.

"AAGH!"

Aang felt a shockwave of pain shoot up his leg. He jerked his head to the ground as he held his foot and leaped on the other. He stepped in a pile of red-hot ashes in a small tray. That was the source of the smoke that he woke up to, he concluded.

But now, he had a bigger problem to take care of. There was an active fire in the other room. It was spreading fast. He could see the brightness of the flames from where he was still hopping in place. He had to get out of this building before it was too late. He wasn't thinking about himself. He thought that it would be too late to save his friends. That was all that he cared about.

* * *

Surprisingly, no one was in any of the other hallways to get in her way. The rest of the air ship was completely deserted. Zuko and Azula must have sent all of their gaurds after her. It was really a shame, she felt, to kill them all. It was something that she always told herself that she would do as the last possible resort, but every time she thought that it was necessary, she still thought it to be wrong. She repeated the word "monster" in her head. Over, and over, again.

Holly's face was screwed up with too many emotions pressed into one. She kept that certain squint in her eyes that she couldn't help, her eyebrows were low, her lips were in a frown. To no shock to her, she was parcially limping down the narrow halls. Her black, metal boots clunked against the metal floors, way too similar to The Boiling Rock. She could be heard anywhere in that prison. In the air ship, she knew that she didn't have to worry. There were only two other people on the air ship with her, now.

Each room that she passed was sealed shut from a metal door. So, she kicked them open. A large puff of white smoke followed her foot for the big blow. Just as last time, the loud noise never made her lose concentration. She didn't flinch once.

The room that she was looking for was the only room that didn't require a door. She was glad of that. Her legs could use a break. It was already a struggle for them to hold her weight up. Muscle was hard to carry for a pair of normal legs.

This was why she preferred flying. Although, air wasn't her favorite element of choice.

There were tables lining every part of the walls. They were filled with food: from meat, to fruit, to pastires, to vegetables - it was all in front of her. She felt like she was in food heaven. There was never a time that she could recall such a feast in her life. She wanted to savor it. She was aware of the time limit. That made it all more of a reason to enjoy this luxury.

After cleaning five plates of food, she grew thirsty. Holly spinned around three times in the middle of the rectangle-shaped room. It took her that long to figure out that there was nothing to drink. Nothing to quench her thirst. That upset her. Water was essential to her diet. She could live without food for this long, but she could only go a couple of days without water. And she was in the middle of a desert, not knowing how long it'll be until she reaches Haven City. She pondered over wether she should just go fly over there herself. That way, she knew where she was all of the time.

The thing that she was for sure of was that she was done eating for the day. She wished that she could take it all with her, but she didn't have anything to carry it in besides her own stomach, and she prefers not to get sick on the trip over there. There had to be a way to get water somehow from the mob.

She walked out of the room, feeling color flowing back into her skin like a heatlth bar.

* * *

He forgot how many buildings were in the city until he made his way outside. The city looked drastically bigger then it was yesterday. It could be because he was in the middle of the city, rather then the edge of it. The old buildings towered over him, making the sky barely visible in between them. Yet, it was strikingly bright for being outside. He felt that same dry feeling that he had yesterday. The dead air flowing into his lungs reminded him that he had nothing to drink in almost two days.

At least he was away from that smoke. A type of smoke that looked and smelled like a violation against nature.

Just like yesterday, there was no one to be seen outside. This answered Aang's question to why the buildings were so enormous. All of them must be hiding in them (Deep down, he could blame them. Times were tough.). That has to mean that his friends had to be in one of them. They couldn't of gone too far - not outsie of this city, he figured. He didn't know how long he was out. He only saw black for a few moments, as it seemed.

It wasn't that it was literally sudden, but that's what it felt like inside. The naucious feeling was always there. It was what made him not stable on his feet that caught his attention so quickly. Now that he was out of that building, his numbness from battling started to fade away.

Aang had to stop walking for a moment. He didn't have to go far to lean against one of the buildings that surrounded him. He clutched his stomach in an anguished face. Immense heat flowed everywhere in his face as his heart sped up from the rush of sickness. His vision blurred so much that it gave him a headache. It could not have just been not eating for one day. They must have done something to him. Something. . .

His stomach heaved, pulling his stability even lower. Aang shut his eyes from the sting that was building up. It wasn't just from the illness.

He didn't know how long he was walking. It could have been for minutes, maybe much longer. . . hours? There would be flashes of black that he could sometimes recall, but everytime he awoke, he was doing the same thing. He was forcing himself to walk through the narrow roads of this city. A few times, he walked down the same road more then once, and caught himself only once doing so. He turned himself around (almost falling on his face in the process) and started off again.

His mouth hung half-opened. It was free from any remaining saliva that could possibly be present. As were his eyes, which turned red from irritation. The skin around his eyes were turning just as grey as his iris's. The collar that hugged his neck was drenched with sweat, and so was all of his exposed skin. He felt like his legs were jelly from walking so far under the weather.

There stood a small figure of a young woman, not too far from the road where his feet stood. Her expressively light brown hair stood out for him somehow. She looked familiar. It looked like a stilled picture. Her arms hung calmy by her side. There was no hint of hate from her stance. Her stance was not meant to be in a fighting manor. Nothing about her looked vicious towards him. He expected her to move around, walk to him, a gesture of some sort? But for so long, it looked like she didn't do anything but stand.

The blackness consumed him all over again.

* * *

"You're alright, you're alright, let it out."

The voice didn't sound as low as the last time he heard it. It was an instant knowing of who was talking. The voice came to him, strangely. He had met her only once, but who else could it be?

"Jesus Christ, I came just in time," the voice mumbled under its breath. It was low again, only when she talked to herself did she have the low tone. It turned completely around when it was gestured to him.

Aang moaned her name under her breath in the process of raising his head for once. He longed for her help. He needed someone to get him out of his state. It wasn't a normal sickness. He called it tortue. Even though he said the name, he doesn't remember who's lap is the bucket laying on. Subconsciously, he was aware of his surroundings. Only part of him was functional.

There was a hand that rubbed his back more in a stroaking manner. He remembered it being there for quite some time, but only realized it until now.

"Can you look up for me, hun?" The voice was soothing. His head must have lowered already.

A pair of small hands guided his head above his neck. They had to hold it there because he didn't have the strength to. The hands were so extremely warm that it felt unnaturally warmer then his own skin. He was surprised that he wasn't feeling the usual clamminess and coldness from being sick, and he wasn't entirely hot, either. He just flet numb again. He couldn't think anything of it.

His vision became clear again. The beautifulness was startling. He wasn't expecting his first clear sight to be those eyes. It was all that he could see at first. The irises had two repeating stripes of golden and white patterning around her bright pupils. It was unnatural as well, yes, but he wouldn't admit to it because he called it breathtaking.

"Holly." He remembered saying it this time. He was gaining his consciousness back. All because of her: The girl that saved his life. He could count twice now. He couldn't have a better feeling of thankfulness for her that she deserved.

Holly's hands slid off of his cheeks and she started to talk again. Aang didn't choose to listen. He was too fixed on what he should say next for gratitude. He still felt shaky from all that has happened when he doesn't even remember half of it.

". . . when you're recovering from something like this-"

Aang tried to interrupt her, but something went wrong. Nothing came out of his stained mouth except rasps and whispers. His throat sent a small shock of irritiveness as a sign of it being sore.

"You have to give your voice a rest for a while," she continued. A smile came upon her face. It was genuine and sincere. Holly had a soft side under all of her muscle.

Aang heard the clunk of the bucket being set on something solid. Then he came to the conclusion that both of them were sitting on a wooden bench. He was leaning over the bench with the support of his hands. It came to a big surprise that the bench wasn't half as dry as the air that he was breathing. The wood was moist.

"Um. . . this is acually, probably the most dangerous place to be right now. We're in the center of one of the best organized mafia's in the world right now. But. . . I tired the best I could, you know, it's not much, but it's the least I can do since you saved my life when I really didn't deserve it." She talked rapidly like she wasn't prepared for what she had to say, or she had so much to let out that it all spilled out at once. She didn't intend to scare him, but that's just what she did.

"Just because I know you want to ask: You're not dealing with a simple sickness," she told him, flipping her sandy hair out of her eyes. "You see; the people here like to. . . _inhale_ this kind of smoke that takes more then one day to get immune to. . . I don't wanna scare you or anything, but-" Holly wandered her brilliant eyes lower and lower the more that she spoke. She wasn't used to talking to people like Aang. She has been around adults all of her life. It didn't seem like she was sitting next to someone that was basically her own age.

"I'm gonna make this up to you, I promise! I'll help you find your friends."


	9. Breaking Point

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the upcoming movie The Last Airbender that makes its debut this July. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean, the creators of the show, and the director and producors of the upcoming movie.**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while (if anyone cares), I've been grounded for getting and E on my report card in math. But I just got a C+ on my test today. I hope that's good enough to get out of it!**

**Anyway, hope this clears up any confusion from the last chapter. I'm aware that it was confusing. I'll try to explain things through dialouge, which I tend to do a lot. Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

"How did you know that I lost my friends?"

"They're not with you," Holly stated. She was the one that was astonished because she thought the situation to be obvious.

Aang seemed to be regaining his consciousness. He was able to speak clearly and become aware of his surroundings. Common sense was gradually making its way back to his mind, according to Holly. That wasn't the real reason how she knew about his friends. There were other happening that proved it more then them simply not being with him. Not only did she know the mob that they were in from the inside-out, she could also tell by Aang's condition. She knew the consequences of being under the influence.

"Can I help you find your friends?" Holly repeated after a long pause of intense silence. Aang was able to hear the pitter-patter of droplets of water dripping into a bucket by the outside corner of one of the buildings that was by the entrance of the alleyway. To Holly, it was inaudible. She became almost paranoid that she would mis-hear something that would be crucial to their safety (more of Aang's safety then her own. The avatar was much more needed on this world then she was, she thought.) With her remarkably perfect eyesight, she would not have her eyes be set on one fixed point for more then a few seconds. All at once, she also tried to keep her contact with Aang.

The avatar lowered his head, blinked once, and raised it again as a slow nod.

Aang's eyesight was almost back to normal. It was good enough to get a clear view of Holly's face up close. Lots of old and new scars were hiding under her tan skin. The side of her left eyebrow had two particular marks on the top and bottom of it - and so did her left nostril and the right side of her bottom lip. None of them were fully healed yet. She could see a more denser dent in her bottom lip. The other three markings were hidden under a shadow from the tall building that the bench was leaning against. Even under she dark shadows, her eyes still glistened golden.

She darted her eyes directly above her, observing the only other opening available like a startled animal. Aang waited for any updated information. He was expecting for her to say "We have to get out of here," or something similar to those words. But what really happened startled him greatly: There was a rush of fire that was sent, intending to hit them. Holly twirled herself in the air above Aang's head. The fire twirled around her body and quickly dissolved. Aang ducked his head under his arms, not wanting to risk watching it all. He was in no state to fight. And this time, he was ready to cover his eyes from Holly's bright white fire.

He heard a series of clings, clatters, stomps, whooshes, explosions and grunts. A few times, the impacts were so great that he would be able to feel it through the intense vibrations. Some of the vibrations felt very sudden and jolty. Confused, he lifted his head for a moment.

Holly and the other man were about ten feet away from each other. They weren't throwing balls of fire to each other anymore. The man was shooting lightning bolts at her.

It looked like she was having a hard time keeping up with his attacks. It was one after another, the bolts of electricity would be darting at her. The energy surrounding the lightning made Holly's hair fly behind her, exposing her entire face for once. Holly would take in the bolts of lightning either from her left or right hand. In less then one second, she would send it back to him. Her sharp breathing was in sync with the electricity flowing through her body. After a few bolts being re-directed by her, Holly would shift her feet from side to side. They were shifting the exact same way that they were yesterday when she sent Katara flying backwords.

To Aang, the question was: Who was going to give out first? With the same technique, the two firebenders were evenly matched in the art of lightning. He saw Holly take down a whole air ship by herself. Why should she not be able to win this fight?

He took one minute break to catch his breath. That was all that it took to lose the battle. From the lightning that Holly already had, she increased its power by waving her arms around her in a complex motion. Then, it was all released at once from her left fist. It looked like a lightning-punch to him. The flashing light was more extreme then the exploding sound that it gave off.

"Where's your glider?" Holly asked, out of breath.

Aang's conscious ticked from her question. It had just hit him that he didn't have his glider with him.

"You gotta stand up." Before he could reconcile, he was grabbed by the forearm and pulled onto his feet. Holly had to be at least four inches shorter then he was, and she still ordered him to hope on her back. There was no time to ask if she was able to hold him up. Seeing another mind-blowing battle that she has won yet again gave him a trustworthy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Out of a blend of panic and impulse, he hopped onto her back. Immediately afterwords, he felt his legs being pulled up to his waist just as if she was going to give him a piggy-back ride.

Aang turned his head towards the fallen man deep into the alley. He felt his monk-being to go and help the man. He didn't want to just leave him there to die. Little did he know that he was already dead.

"Keep your eyes forward. Have your legs as far away from mine as possible unless you want them burned to death. Get a good grip on me. This ain't your typical ride on that glider of yours. Keep in mind that I'm not an airbender."

"Why do we have to leave?" Aang asked.

"I can barely hold off one of those mobsters, and there are thousands of 'em in this town. I just caused enough commotion to get us both killed if we don't get out of here quick enough."

"But-"

"You can ask all the questions you want once we're out of here," was the last thing that she said before she took off.

The experience was blood-pumping. He could feel the addrenaline rushing through his very veins. His heart was pounding many miles an hour against Holly's back. Aang's head was awkwardly pushed up against the crook of Holly's neck. Many things were running through his mind that were very random from all of the other thins that he could be worrying about: Holly's unique hair was also just as uniquely soft as silk. A couple of her veins were popped out of her neck from struggling to keep both of them shooting up into the air. He felt her hard-working sweat against his cheek. Her aroma could be classified as something terribly burnt. Black, crisp ashes. It gave him a clear reminder of the smell of the smoke that he was forced to inhale in his sleep. The flashbacks were doing nothing to help his panic. He was an airbender, yes, but this was not airbending of any sort.

For the longest time, it felt like they were flying straight upwards. It came to a surprise to him to get used to when she began to fly forward. Gravity pressed his body even more against her backside that was greatly toned with muscle. She was able to carry all of his weight and her own in the air. He became curious. . . what other kinds of muscles rest upon her bones? His arms were securely wrapped around Holly's neck like he was told. He didn't violate the order, but he gave it a ponder to move his grip to her arms. He couldn't move his head to look at the rest of her, either. He was strictly told to keep his eyes forward. He didn't realize how much respect he was willing to give for this girl, but he felt that he had no choice by seeing her power from only the past couple of days. It was unquestionable.

The flight went on for a while. Through this while, his panic gradually dissolved. Strangely, he became comfortable against Holly. Through this while, his head dropped onto her shoulder to avoid uncomfortableness of being against her neck. At times, he would catch his legs sliding down to meet her hips and he would have to slide them back up to her waist. When he felt the heat at the soles of his feet, he would know that that would be the time to raise them again. That was the only thing that was keeping him from falling asleep. Because he was comfortable in the air.

* * *

Holly didn't know how she was going to wake him up, now that she was ready to land. She spotted the only spot in the desert that looked suitable to spend the night in for the night. The sun was barely setting, but she wanted a head start this time in finding a campsite. She loses more then half of her power when the moon rises.

Frankly, she didn't know the avatar's actual name still. Her whole life, she has always referred to him as "the avatar" in all circumstances, but now that she guessed that she could call them acquaintences, she would find it convenient to call him by his real name. If she was going to help him get his friends back from the mob, then they were going to be seeing a lot of each other for the next few days - maybe longer.

Aang seemed to awaken on his own. When he felt himself sliding down her back from the change in angle, he had to. Holly helped him raise his legs even higher then before. The fire had to be stronger in order to make a smooth landing.

"Shield your eyes!" Holly yelled through the roar of her own fire.

Soon enough, he felt numerous grains of sand slice against his skin. He was taken well out of the city. Out of his comfort zone. Away from his friends.

His feet met the desert-ground. He had a wobbly stance from not being well on his feet since he was standing in the roads of the city one day previous. He barely remembers escaping the building this morning. Everything from the day felt like a blurr to him.

Holly turned around to help him stand in the uneven layers of sand that was turned to the color black from meeting Holly's white fire. She grasped both of Aang's arms as a stablement.

"Are you well enough to earthbend?" Holly asked.

Aang opened his mouth to answer. It took a moment in order for noise to escape it. He found the question to be random, so it struck him as so. "Um. . . I guess. Why?"

"We need more then just that to keep us warm tonight." Holly gestured toward the damaged fire-nation air balloon behind her. Most of the cloth was covered in sand. The basket was thrown on its side and wobbled back and forth in the freezing breeze. Aang shook his head in denial.

"Why did you take me all the way out here? I thought you said you were going to help me look for my friends!" Holly pursed her lips for a moment, trying to keep her cool. Her layered hair flew along the side of her face from the sharp winds.

"Because if I didn't, then we'd be dead." The way that she said it was very head-on. But Aang still didn't take that as an acceptable answer. Holly saw the anger on his face, so she continued. "Haven City, in my opinion, is the most dangerous city on earth. The mafia is just as strong as it was before the war started -"

"Okay, wait a minute," Aang interrupted. "What's a mafia?"

"A business for organized crime," she replied in a monotone. "They live for drugs, sex, money and power. They kill to keep thereselves alive and risk their own to get a taste of what being powerful is like."

Aang was still confused, but still pretended to know what he was talking about. "Where are my friends?" he asked, going straight to the point. Holly's intimidating face didn't affect him like it did with others. It didn't come across Holly that he wasn't going to be a "going with the flow" kind of person for the next few days.

"That's the question, isn't it? A question that even I don't know the answer to. The mobsters are mastermind's - genius's, even," Holly said, raising her eyebrows at her own correction.

"We have to go back!" he demanded. "I can't just leave them there!" He threw his arms up in the air in protest.

"Too late now. Can't firebend at night." Holly's way of communicating was really getting on his nerves. Even when it seemed like she was trying to be nice, he could still feel that shiver up his spine whenever there was that smart-ass tone to it. She said everything that she was thinking without giving it another thought. Holly's tone of voice made him snap.

Aang used his airbending to send her flying backwords. Holly knew beforehand that this was going to happen. She shot her white fire out of her fists (having her arms perfectly straight above her head) in the process of a back flip. She landed safely to the ground.

"You want to attack the person that just saved your life?" Holly chuckled.

Aang widened his eyes, but shrugged it away. He wanted to win the argument. "I don't care if you saved my life, I would rather you save my friends'!"

"Very noble of you," Holly grinned, nodding once as an assurance. She began to dust off her shoulders, even though there was enough dirt on her clothes already. She then realized that this was no time to be smarting off. She read the desperation on his face with her eyes. "Okay, look: you'll get some sleep tonight to recover from the pot, and we'll go back once the sun comes back up again tomorrow."

"Recover from the what?"

"What?"

There was an awkward silence. Holly had to force herself not to crack a smile.

"So how about that earthbending?" she suggested, changing the subject.

Aang was in no state to protest. He shifted into his horse stance, getting ready to make a very large earth tent.

"Wait, wait wait. . ." Holly walked back towards him.

"What now?"

"I don't think I catched your name, avatar."

He sighed deeply. "Aang."

"Nice to meet you, Aang. Like I said, I am Holly, and you'll be seeing a lot of me for a while now if we're gonna get your friends back from the mob." Holly's cheesy grin was a lighten to the mood. He knew that he was now going to have to accept the fact that this was true. He wanted his friends back more then anything. If that meant putting up with Holly for so many days, then he will be willing to do so. And besides, he didn't hate her all that much. . .

Aang returned a smile.

* * *

**Well, that answered a few of the confusing things from the last couple of chapters, but this is nothing yet. I still have to explain the stuff at The Boiling Rock, more about this mob, and I gotta get Zuko back in the story somehow to wrap it up and conclude its title. Expect lots more to come!**


	10. Setting Aside the Differences

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I'm gonna go off topic for just a second here: I was just recently informed (by Jeff Palmer from youtube, look him up! His updates are very useful for the upcoming movie) that Toph won't be in the series! What the fuck? Toph is my favorite character on the show. Instead, some dude is taking her place. That pisses me off.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapp**

* * *

"Lightin' up alittle bit, huh?" Holly was relieved. She had to have some kind of relationship going with him for these next few days. This mission wasn't what she exactly how she intended it to be. She began to think that this would extended her time with Aang greatly for the near future. She had a feeling inside that that won't be a bad thing at all. She could finally make friends with somebody that was close to her age.

A gust of wind sheered against the two of them that was ten degrees colder then the rest of the air. Holly was used to it. She, in fact, didn't notice it much until it was mentioned.

"It's freezing here!" Aang said. He crossed his arms to gather any warmth that was left in him. Holly could see the blue on his face. His eyes were still sunken from the immense dose of drugs that was needed to knock him out for the night. She felt a rush of remorse for not being able to do much for him when he saved her life. Holly did not want help at all. She didn't feel like it was worth it to save someone like her.

"And all we have for the night is the clothes on our backs? How are we going to survive this?" Aang protested.

"Didn't you have a whole bunch of shit with you yesterday?"

Aang flinched, but didn't comment on her choice of words. He chose continue on: "Yeah, but I don't have it now because-"

The continuing failed. He froze.

Appa was gone too. _Again._

"Cause what?" Holly tried to read his emotions. She has never witnessed such complicated things running through him so quickly. It looked confusing to her, but Aang was confused too. The fact that a girl dragged him out of a mafia-infested city and into the middle of the desert was lots of pressure to handle at once. His friends were under control of this mafia, and Holly dragged him away from it.

"D-dude, Aang, you were just smiling two seconds ago."

Unlike any other person, Holly did not squint when Aang's tattoos glowed a brilliant blue because that reflected the color of her own fire. She only lowered her eyebrows in confusement. She wasn't expecting something like this to happen. She felt scared for once. Her knowledge of the avatar was great, and she knew what was happening and what could be the consequences of standing too close. But he is also vulnerable. If she were to try to fight back, the cycle of the avatar's would be lost forever.

Holly thought of a plan in mere seconds. It was ridiculous, but she was confident that it was going to work. She walked towards him. The wind was picking up fast, and it wasn't the weather's fault. Aang's airbending was increasing every step she took. She was lucky not to have been flown off of her feet. Her stradegy was to use her fire as a shield against his air blasts. She created a bubble of white fire that surrounded her as close as it could. She could not see in front of her from such bright light, so she could only assume where his proximety was.

She killed the fire, threw her hands on his shoulders, and pulled him back on his feet before he got too high. Holly slammed her eyes shut with so much concentration. She was manipulating his heart beat with electricity to calm him down.

Aang jolted in his avatar state. His joints snapped far across while his head tipped back.

His eyes flew open. They were not blue anymore.

Holly's hands were still resting on his shoulders. _"There is no time to panic."_

Not only were here hands warm, but her words were just as comforting. That jolt of reality was just what he needed.

* * *

"Good evening, Chen," a soft voice greeted.

"Evenin', general," a rather rough voice replied. He was screaming on the inside to just keep walking to avoid conversation. His feet hezitated to move forward. The man strode in front of him and began talking before he could get out of the way. His tone of voice made it even harder to not feel intimidated.

"Do you have any news on wether the air ships have left for the search?"

"Sure did," he said. "Saw them left just this mornin'." Chen put his hand up to his bearded chin. He couldn't keep still for very long under so much nerves. One night prior, he witnessed an innocent man being tortured by the general standing before him. Losing his job would be the least of punishment for him. He was about the only one left that has been working at The Boiling Rock since before Holly has broke out of their system. Ever since, things have never been the same.

"Has the damage been repaired to our roof?"

The questions were becoming more difficult to answer. The more deeper he was reaching into, the more ugly the answers were going to get. Beads of sweat formed upon Chen's wrinkled forehead. He could feel it getting hot in his uniform.

"Er. . no one has gotten to it yet, sir, but we did get some men to accept the job-"

"Are you saying that there is still a large gaping hole inside one of our jail cells? What about the prisoner that was there previously?"

"Angra was moved to the first floor, last time I checked."

"Angra?" the general asked. He folded his hands gently in front of his waist. He was slightly bowing his head to him in a courtly manor, but he was lowering his eyebrows.

"Angra Mainyu, sir," he said. He did not want to go into further detail about him. He did, though, know on the inside that he was going to ask wether he wanted him to or not. The general wanted to know everything there is about everyone, believing that there is no one to trust anymore. He is obsessed in capturing Holly, the one that has escaped more then once.

"Ah, and what is his purpose here?" General Shang paced between the two narrow walls that were on either side of them. His head was held high, absorbing that fact that he had all of the power under this roof. This man was an easy target, easy to manipulate any information from him.

"He was. . . he er, used to be part of a mob, sir."

"More specifically?"

"Well, er, I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard that he's been workin' with Holly."

"Exactly. And I have recently been told that no one has been keeping a close eye on him ever since Holly Wilson has made her escape," the general pointed out. "You shall do so. Go check on Mainyu," he bluntly stated.

He felt his stomach lurch from his command. Chen was forced to be face-to-face with this man. He has never seen Holly Wilson in person ever in his life, but if he ever was to, she must be at least similar to Mainyu. Angra Mainyu was the most frightened of all of the prisoners still staying at The Boiling Rock. He stood a good six and a half feet tall. His muscles were stringed from age, but they were still there nonetheless. From staying in prison for so long, his wavy gray hair hung below his shoulders, followed by a beard that he attempted to cut with a small knife every so often. Many times, there would be moderate cuts upon his face. That was his only attempt at hygeine.

Chen walked down the darkened hallway, down the metal staircase (he retrieved a torch by then for a source of light), and down the next hallway on the east side of the building. There was only one occupant jail cell down this corner. It was occupied by Mainyu. His jail cell was heavily gaurded with metal, but not as much by gaurds themselves.

His hand was severely shaking when he withdrew a keychain from his pocket. His stormy eyes were strictly upon the chain of keyes, and not the metal door in front of him. The other hand was shaking while holding his torch, and soon both of his entire arms were. The keys rattled and clinged together. From the loss of a firm grip, the keys dropped to the floor with a small clash from metal versus metal.

Half of his weight bent over to retrieve it. A few moments later of shaking and clinging, he got his grip back. Chen stood up straight.

Just then, he noticed that there really wasn't a door in front of him at all. It was blown apart. Almost exactly how Holly had escaped.

* * *

"Holly. . . I'm sorry. I know I've been being a jerk lately, and I know I should be nice to you because you were just trying to help, and you just saved my life too. I've just been so confused today, and, I don't know what's going on anymore-"

A pair of unbelievably strong arms wrapped around him. "No, I'm sorry. You don't have anything to be sorry about. I've been a bitch to you and your friends right from the start. I attacked your girlfriend, for god's sake, and you still went out there and saved my ass. I really didn't deserve that."

The two of them parted. "Are you kidding me? You took down that whole airship for us!"

"Uh, yeah, about that," Holly gave a nervous laugh. "Those people weren't really after you. They were there because of me."

"Because of you?" he asked. "Why?"

"Uh. . . I kind of broke out of the best prisons of the fire nation and pissed them off."

The small distinct scars on Holly's face became noticable to him again. Visions of the people in the city came back to him. He began to make the connections. But he had to be sure of himself. Aang took a step back. "Why were you in prison?"

"Because I was working with someone on a mission that contradicted their rules."

"A mission?" This wasn't exactly what he was having in mind. "What kind of mission?"

Holly sighed, and then ticked her head behind her shoulder. "The leader of the mob back there gave me a mission to find you. My intentions are different then his. He wants you for the same reason that the fire lord does (even if he doesn't want to admit it). I went along with his plan, and he actually thinks that I'm out bound to capture you and bring you straight to him. But I actually went along with his plan for a different thing in mind."

Aang formed a questionable expression on his face.

"You have already mastered the elements of air, water, and earth. Right?"

He was taken aback by such a random question, but still agreed, nodding his head once. It unfixed him off of the theory that Holly was once involved with the mafia.

"Maybe we should sit down and talk? Maybe you could whip us up some earth chairs, or some kind of fire pit for me to work with?"

"You're not thinking of teaching me how to firebend, are you?"

* * *

"Princess Azula, Prince Zuko, we have found someone in the desert!"

"Who is it?" Zuko asked, straightening his posture in his chair.

"It's not Holly Wilson, but we think that he has something to do with her."

Zuko heard Azula huff in the corner. Every bit of her wanted Holly dead. It was utterly humiliating to come back into their home nation to let people know that everyone besides her and her brother have perished. None of them believed her when she said that Holly killed them all from a swipe in the air. Not even her own father.

Zuko was used to not being trusted, of course. His father never treated him like he should. He had the scar to prove it. But Azula was always treated with respect and praise by their father, and all because of Holly, his actions toward her have turned around. Her escape has ruined her repuation as the Princess.

"Bring him in," Zuko ordered. He wasn't really expecting much on the inside. Their new staff members were just the left overs that no one wanted to take with them on other's journeys. They were here to fill space, Zuko thought throughout their whole destination. His hope has sunken ever since they had left.

The man that entered before him had to be escorted by a few of his strongest men on board. Smoke was spewing out of his mouth that let half open, showing drastically stained teeth. His eyes drooped with dark shadows that gave him a dead-look to his face. His hair was very unkempt and still had sand at the roots from the wind in the desert. Some of his hair, and the surface of his skin shone sweat against the few of the lights in the room. He was old, tall, and lanky. Zuko didn't understand how someone like him could possibly be wandering around in a desert on a day like this. He knew of the drastic temperature change that took place at night.

"State your name."

Zuko didn't notice until now that Azula had made her way next to him like nothing has ever happened back at home. She was the same Azula all over again.

"Angra Mainyu."

Many pairs of wide eyes focused upon him. His voice was raspy, but bold. He didn't seem intimidated by any of the men in the air ship, including Zuko and Azula. The two siblings have heard of his name before along with most of the other soldiers. He had to do a lot with Holly Wilson. Zuko's mind played a flashback of Holly killing all of his former soldiers at once. Azula couldn't play the act of being intimidating any longer. She actually took a few steps back and landed in her seat beside his brother's.

Mainyu laughed. He sounded crazy, which made it frightening. His voice was still very low and raspy. His jawline was widespread when he smiled. His pale golden eyes rolled up to the smokey ceiling, made by himself. Two of the men had to hold him up by the arms because he lost so much of his balance.

"Are you under the impression that I am a murderer?" Mainyu asked, turning to Zuko and Azula. His eyes flickered between the two of them. "No, those are not my intentions. Frankly, I was looking for Holly, as well. I could use some help from the fire nation."

"Why do you want to find her?" asked Zuko.

"It's very simple, actually. You see, I thought I tricked the girl into capturing the avatar for myself. But I am an old man, so I had to think long and hard to come to the conclusion that she has gone against my plan for her own selfish ways."

Azula could tell that what he was saying was only partly true. "You seem pretty smart to me, Mainyu, so tell me: What really convinced you to change your ways?" she asked. She gave her men a look that told them to get the answer out of him.

Two blazes of normal fire erupted out of the men's palms. They rested just below his chin. Mainyu laughed, but not as hard as before.

"Very clever, Princess, you know how to read a person well," he complimented.

"Tell us what happened!" Zuko yelled.

Mainyu's eyes pierced Zuko's. The stare seemed to go on forever. He found it to be a mistake to push him after so long. He dropped the anger from his expression and let off.

"Holly broke into my mafia to save the avatar."

* * *

Holly squared her shoulders and smiled, rolling her eyes to give away her approval. Her hands slid down her sides, then she came to realize that she didn't have any pockets in her outfit. She missed her old apparel.

"Can't save the world without a little fire," she commented.

Aang would laugh, but there were too many other emotions still running through his mind. The jolt of electricity was still tingling his insides. He felt much more alive. He hasn't felt any more clearer since a few days ago.

"Maybe you can teach me how to make white fire," he suggested. His face lit up as he expected a positive answer, but it sunk when he saw a rather dark expression in her eyes. She looked dissapointed or upset. She sighed.

"You wanna set up camp instead of standing here out in the open - cold desert?"

Aang was puzzled when she didn't want to press the converstion any further. Was it something that he said?

"Um. . . sure," he said. He rolled his head along with his gray eyes around his surroundings. He wasn't persay a _master_ at earthbending yet like Holly assumed. He wasn't so sure how to create an earth dome large enough for the two of them. That was something that he usually left for Toph to do. . .

_Poof._ Holly plopped into the dry sand where she was standing. A dust cloud formed around her, and it became larger when she layed her back into it. She connected her fingers behind her head and crossed her short legs like she was lounging on a beach. She might have been pretending to to get over the fact that they were stuck in a desert for the night.

"Try not to make the tent thing too noticable," she reminded him. "The mob might spot us here and slit our throats." It sounded like she was trying to be funny, but it only scared him even more then he was. He shot a look at Holly after assuming that it was an insult to his abilities, but he didn't manage to catch her eye. And what was she going to do for the rest of the night?

Despite his annoying and lack of self confidence, Aang managed to create a large earth dome while in his horse stance. It was already getting dark when they were in the open, but now it was pitch black. He couldn't see a thing.

A pair of glowing golden eyes seemed to come out of nowhere. That was all that he could see.

"Holly, I think there's an animal in here!"

_WHOOSH!_ The small blaze of white fire was enough to illuminate the entire "room".

"Where?" she asked obliviously. She was shot up into a sitting position, trying to look for this animal.

Aang could not believe it. He was awestruck.

"What?"

* * *

"So: You are telling me that you walked down to Mainyu's jail cell, and he wasn't there when _you_ got there? That sounds convenient. He already left when you got there? How do I know that you are lying?"

"Uh, I dunno, general, I think it sounds pretty straightforward-"

"_Silence!_"

Chen's eyes formed a glassy appearance when he became nose-to-nose with the terrifyingly strict man. Even though there were dozens of people in the area, he felt as though they were the only two people visible.

"You know, Chen, your sense of nervousness tells me that you are _lying_ through your teeth! I say that Mainyu was, in fact, still there when you went there! But you were too week to hold him off, and you _let_ him escape!"

"Sir, that's not-"

"Take him away!"

The whispering within the crowd of staff members increased to a low buzz. Chen begged General Shang to spare him. His words were so studdered and slurred, you couldn't tell what he was saying half of the time. Two of the higher-appointed gaurds took hold of his large arms and were forced to drag him out of the courtyard. General Shang brought up other gaurds and whispered in their ears. They nodded, and followed Chen back into the building. He gave his orders to be exiled.

"The rest of you are dismissed!"

* * *

**Wow, what a chapter. This took me a while to write, but I'm pretty proud of myself on this one. Feedback?**

**And idk if the last scene is really needed, but it was pretty cool to end with. Basically, the general sent Chen off to be killed in some kind of torturous way haha. But on a serious level, I'm just trying to show the cruelness of the fire nation and how the ridiculous the war is getting.**

**The next chapter will get real interesting, if you're into this story. Aang and Holly are gonna infiltrate the mob :P**


	11. The Race

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**So these chapters are probably gonna get a lot longer since I have more to write about. I'm starting to try and be a better writer and put more info into everything. They'll probly get even longer. dunno if thats good or bad, but yeah, carry on :)**

* * *

"What?"

Aang's jaw hung low. He had to make effort in order for something to come out of his mouth. Her eyes reminded him of a wild cat's. When they looked at you, they were voluminous. He was positive that it also wasn't normal to have white pupils in the dark. When the fire erupted, her eyes went back to regular form. It was suspicious.

"Er, nevermind," he told her.

Holly gave him a confused look, but let it pass with a shrug from her broad shoulders. With the white fire in her palm, she closed that hand into a fist and punched towards the ground, while her other arm folded, the edge of her hand snapping against her chest. Her punch didn't have much force to it since it wasn't for fighting purposes. The fire was shot to the sand a couple of feet away and it stayed there like there was a fire pit. Instead of burning logs and kindling, it was burning the sand.

It was like it was the middle of the day again. The blaze of fire appeared to be a miniature sun. The heart of a beautiful sun was dancing lively before him. As he sat in front of it, Holly fell back onto her back, making more dust fly into the air. She was not amused by her own fire.

Out of nowhere, Aang began to feel much more comfortably warm then he has in a long time. He was freezing the whole time that he was in the desert, but the fire's temperature has much more of an impact then normal fire. He didn't have to sit inches away from it, either. He sat on one side of the earth tent, while Holly was on the other. The fire was in the middle of the two. From the brightness, he could not see Holly at the other edge of the tent.

"Well, don't stare at it! You know what happens when you stare at the sun too long?"

"That's not the sun," Aang protested.

"Same concept," she said.

"How come _you're_ not blind yet?" he asked. He decided to lay down, himself. He did notice the variety of colors that blinded him while looking upon the ceiling of earth. Instead of putting his hands behind his head, he rested them on his stomach. He scootched a few inches closer to her fire so he could at least feel more of the warmth of it.

"Cause I don't stare at it like you do," Holly lied. Aang rolled his eyes, not expecting a real answer from her anymore. She sounded convincing, but the facts weren't right. He knows that when he's working with any element, you have to concentrate on it in order to make it happen. And unless you're Toph, you can't just close your eyes while performing any type of bending. In Holly's case, he guessed that she set her eyes on white fire quite often. It was just one more thing to prove that there was something up with her eyes.

"Er, so what exactly is our plan for tomorrow?" he asked her. He wanted to keep a converstaion going to help clear his mind. He was, as he came to think of it, nervous for what was to come tomorrow. The people in that city scared him to death and he has no experience with people like them. Most of all, he was scared for his friends. He just hoped that they were okay.

"We gotta get there early cause I gotta take care of some things, first." What Aang was wishing for at the moment did come true. Holly's topic of subjects were getting his mind on other things. He didn't know that she was actually doing this intentionally. It sounded as though she had to run her daily errands in a city controlled by mobsters.

"What kind of things?"

"I'm gonna break into one of their shops to get some better clothes. We're too noticable with what he have on now," she explained. He felt sort of a lurch in his stomach. He saw visions of the distinct body piercings that the people had on that night. Some of them looked more painful then others. It was such a violation against the nature of the human body (especially the gages). That was why it went against much of what he believed in from what he was taught from the monks. It looked so unnatural. So, he couldn't help but ask.

"You're not gonna give me a whole bunch of. . . _piercings_, are you?"

"Scary to look at, aren't they?" she asked, with a thick accent that he wasn't used to. "Even scarier to get 'em."

"You've had them before." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He didn't really mean to say it outloud, but it was a mere realization.

"Well, you're lucky, avatar, because your tattoos are gonna make up for it. I'll change the color of it or somethin' once we get there so you won't look like yourself - and don't worry, they won't be permanent. It'll be some type of makeup. I'm sure they got somethin' there. . ."

Holly was stubborn about their topic of communication, but so was Aang. "How many did you get?"

"Eight," she sighed. "Technically twelve. On my ears, there were three on my lobes and a bar going across the top of my left. Then, I had my eyebrow, nose, lip and belly button, which I still have in 'cause you can't see it."

"Why?"

"Part of the culture, I guess." Holly rubbed her stomach where one of her piercings still existed. "That's why I have to put them back in once we get there. It's the only way that it'll look convincing to the other mobsters."

"You were one of them, weren't you?"

". . . I was a different person back then." Holly's voice lowered close to a whisper. Aang felt the urge to look across the tent for her reaction. He knew that he would get yelled at again, or go into another temporary blindness. Maybe he could walk over there and sit next to her.

It was like she read his mind. When he looked back up, she was sitting next to him, hugging her knees and staring at the fire. He mentally called her a hyppocrite, but asked another question phsycially to remain distracted.

"How long ago was it?"

"'Bout a year ago," she breathed. "Around the time when I heard that you were back."

Aang's eyes trailed all around the girl beside him. He sat up after she spoke and crossed his legs. He was surprised at how unique her hair was. The strands of hair that ran along the side of her face didn't seem like they could move in any way. All of the top of her hair came from one small part, and it went in all different directions. The brown color to it matched her tan skin well.

Holly had _biceps? _He couldn't believe that he didn't notice them before. It's not like they were small, because they happened to be larger then his own. They blended in so well with the rest of her body. He knew that she had muscle, but he didn't expect anything like that. On other girls, muscles like her's would probably look gross. On Holly, though, it blended in. It was sort of beautiful to have such strength.

Finally, he let go of his stare. His eyes wandered around the dome, dozing out into a daydream. . .

"Hey, how are we supposed to know when it gets dark out?"

Holly stopped staring into the fire and scanned the tent just as he did. "You didn't put an air hole in here?"

"A what?"

"Well, if you don't give us some air for tonight, then we're gonna suffocate from the smoke!" Holly laughed at his mistake. Her teeth were all straight in a row, but they didn't withstain the whiteness that they probably had so many years ago. They looked worn out. Even with this true, she still had a nice smile. Her punctured wound where her lip piercing used to be stuck out distinctively. It looked like it was already partly healed, and tomorrow, she has to shove it back in. Aang's insides lurched again.

Aang didn't notice that he was staring at her again until she finally caught him. Her smile sunk and it was filled back with more confusement. He felt his face get really hot with embarrassement. His head started to feel light once more, and he felt something significant in the pit of his stomach that wasn't from thinking about the piercings. It wasn't the fact that Holly _didn't_ like the fact that he was looking at her, but the fact that no one else has looked at her in that way before. It was an awkward situation for the both of them.

As quickly as he could, Aang scrambled to his feet to break some holes in his homemade earth dome. He soon regretted that he did so. The sharp and freezing winds made their ways through the holes, no matter how small he tried to make them. It was like he was having dry ice thrown at him. Dry air and cold air didn't mix good together. How was he supposed to sleep in the cold? With nothing but the clothes on his back? Sure, there was white fire right in front of him, but even that wasn't enough to eliminate all of the bitter coldness.

He layed back down next to Holly. Without thinking about it, his body curled up into a feedle position to save any more body warmth that was still inside him. He was not comfortable. His light headedness was starting to come back, he was lying in a little earth dome with a girl that he just formally met a couple of days ago in the middle of his desert, and he lost everything that he still used to hold most dearly. He felt so alone.

_Whoosh._

Aang gasped. Holly put the fire out.

He felt a shiver down his spine. He was freezing.

"Night, avatar."

* * *

_He could see lots of tattoos and piercings on all of them. The piercings could be on their ears, through their nostril's, their septums, eyebrows, lips, or bellybutton. Some of the more middle-aged men looked like they had gages. The tattoos were horrifying. They looked like mythological creatures or monsters from the spirit world, and some were mere designs from all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some looked like religious symbols._

_He could spot three women in the incoming crowd._

_They attacked quickly with no time to spare for second thoughts. The gaang's instinct was to fight. There was no time to retreat. Appa was too tired to fly any further. He was still suffering from the great fall that had just occured._

_"Katara, there's too many of them! We have to hold back!" Sokka belowed._

_He heard Toph scream in surprise._

_Sokka yelled at the top of his lungs for assistance._

_There were hundreds of them - no, thousands! The area was swarming with them!_

_Aang whipped his head around: Katara was being dragged by her feet by one of them._

_"AANG!"_

* * *

Holly was leaning over him. The first thing that he saw was her glowing eyes. They were so bright compared to the rest of the darkeness in the earth tent.

"Jesus Christ, are you okay?"

He felt warmth. Her hands were wrapped snuggly around his arms-

"You're cold as ice!"

She took in a deep breath and let out warm air across any of his exposing skin. Aang was too exhausted to speak. He simply enjoyed the comfort of her heat. All he wanted was to go back to sleep. He hasn't slept decently in a long time. So far, this was far from it.

* * *

A nudge on the shoulder.

"Hey!" she whispered.

Another nudge.

"Wake up, avatar, we have a big day ahead of us!"

Aang lifted his eyelids to find Holly laying extremely close next to him. Some of themselves were touching, he could tell by the drastic difference in body heat. Her head was resting against the palm of her hand, and her elbow was laying against the sandy ground. She had dark shadows under her eyes that contradicted their beauty. She must have been awake just as must as he was in order to calm him down. He began to feel guilty before he was startled by her closeness. To be honest with himself, he didn't mind that at all.

"You can't sleep with a fire goin', and I had to keep you warm somehow in order to shut you up. Don't press the matter any further." Her accent went from being a gangster to being a lawyer. An intelligent mobster? He was too tired to be sure.

"I wasn't going to," he said honestly. He didn't care at the moment.

* * *

"Aw, the sun is already coming up!" Aang whined as he gazed at the horizon from the desert. The bitter coldness left the wind to only leave the dryness. He was perfectly fine with that after what he had to go through last night.

"Doesn't matter. Barely any of 'em are up until it goes back down anyway," she replied half-heartedly.

"Why? Aren't they firebenders?"

"Yeah, I don't get it, either," she snickered. That was the first time that he witnessed Holly not having a straight answer to the mafia's way of life. Some of their rituals went far back before her time, though, so it was hard to determine some of the reasons for their doing. Aang has learned so much about these people in a matter of twenty four hours. It was strange because at the same time, he was still having nightmares about them.

"So, how are we getting there?" Aang asked.

"Unless you want to spend all of our time walking through this thing, then I suggest we fly again."

"Awwh," he groaned as he slapped his hands to his face. "Not that again!"

"Is it that bad? I'm the one that's carryin' you over there! I don't know about you airbenders, but flyin' with just fire underneath ya is harder then it looks!"

_I _would_ fly there, if I had my glider_, Aang said in his mind.

Holly moved her hips from side to side jokingly as he made his approach. He would find it just as funny as she thought it was if he wasn't too mesmorized with it. He felt something bright rise in him when he heard her laugh. It made him feel the happiest he ever felt in a long time. It wasn't annoying like other girls' were, or really fake from other girls being self-conscious. Her laugh was genuine and carefree.

"Hop aboard, avatar!"

Holly waited for his body weight to be thrusted upon her. She bent down a bit, but knew that it wasn't needed much anyway because she was greatly shorter then him.

There was no response.

"Aang?"

Holly turned around. She wanted to just melt into the grains of sand and wish for this to be over. Yet another airship was flying straight into her and Aang's path. It was identical to the one that she destroyed, but she knew that she wasn't going to do that again unless it was urgent. She knew that it had to be the airship that she was in yesterday. It must have a whole new set of firebenders in there.

She could not contain her anger. Her hands balled up into tight fits and translucent smoke puffed out of her nostrils.

"SHIT!" A whisp of white fire swirled around her body that followed her fists. The wave of heat reached Aang moments later.

"We still might be able to make it," he told her. "Let's go!"

It was Holly's luck that Aang's weight was dropped on her back the moment that she least expected it to. She stumbled on her feet for a moment, but it was very quickly that she gained enough strength to not phase her at all. As she stood straight on with her hands around Aang's calves, she took in the biggest breath that she could come up with. After a few seconds ticked by, Holly finally kicked off of her feet.

Instead of going high up into the clouds, she changed her stance fast. She kept her height very low. They were only two feet off of the ground. This time through, they were going much faster. Holly was reaching speeds that Aang has never thought about reaching when he was on his glider. It would be too much to control for him. He hoped that she could handle it.

It was an advantage on their part to be in a desert. She didn't have to avoid any trees, buildings, or anything else that might be laying around. The only thing that she had to worry about were the sand dunes, and they didn't seem to be too drastic.

Aang could not keep his eyes open. There was too much dust in the air that would get caught against his tears. He could feel some of his skin pulling back from the gravitational force. He took the chance to look behind his shoulder: He could barely see anything past the two huge blasts of white fire behind the heels of Holly's feet besides a large dark figure that he assumed to be the airship. It didn't look like it moved much. It didn't look any bigger or smaller. He had a bad feeling that this was because they were following them at the same speed.

He had to do something to help. He was an _airbender_ for god's sake. Shouldn't he be the one flying, here? He had to be able to help somehow.

And so he did. He let his arms break free of their strong grasp around Holly's shoulders and whipped two large blasts of air on each side of them. He almost lost his grip on her completely in doing so. He managed to grasp onto the back of her shirt (almost choking in the process) and stay on. He couldn't look back now. The speed was too incredible.

"Thanks for the turbo boost!" Holly yelled over the roaring of her own fire and the sharp winds that were invading their half-opened mouths.

"No problem!" As he replied, a piece of her hair flew into his dry mouth. It was difficult to spit out, considering he had no spit left. The only thing that he could sense inside was a really bad taste from the lack of moisture.

* * *

"We're not going fast enough!" Zuko boomed.

"Be patient, Zuzu, we're both going to the same place," his sister sighed.

Zuko kept his eyes on the bright flashing light through one of the large windows where his staff was controlling the airship. They were doing the best that they could to keep up with them. They were breaking the boundries of how fast it should be able to go. They were risking damage to the ship and to everyone riding it under Zuko's pressuring orders.

"A place that happens to be filled with gangsters!" he fumed, turning his glance towards her. He threw his arms into the air as an attempt to enforce his words. He was unsuccessful.

Azula didn't appear to be phased by the warning. She was there was they brought their leader into this very room, but she still managed to convince herself that nothing would stop them because the fire nation is better then everyone. She was underestimating them, despite witnissing Mainyu's drastic entrance. She was also underestimating Holly's power, even when she saw her kill all of her men with one movement. Zuko thought that she was crazy. He was taking this scenario on a whole other level. He, at least, was facing the reality of things.

He returned his eyes back outside from the window. He saw the sandy hills, a few cacti, and shrubs and tumbleweeds. There was no sign of Holly and the avatar anywhere.

"Where did they go?" he asked.

* * *

"AANG, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"

Aang's arms were wrapped around Holly's waist. They were twisting, spinning and ripping through the air with the help of his own bending. Holly's fire was still existing with it. Together, they were reaching top speeds. They were fast enough to lose the airship's trail.

"_Stop! Stop, stop STOP!"_

Holly killed her fire and Aang stopped bending. They free-fell together for a long lasting moment. Holly crossed her arms over her face to avoid them recieving any damage. Aang tightened his grip on Holly's waist immensely. It didn't cause her any pain, to her own luck. Her stomach was just as strong as her arms.

She told him to stop because they already reached their destination. They did a crash-landing into the remaining sand at the edge of the town. Aang was generous enough to have him take the fall. He turned one hundred and eighty degrees and landed on his backside. His clothes took some of the burning sensation away, but he could still feel it on the back of his neck and part of his shoulders. His back felt the worst pain just from the froce of the landing. Holly was lucked out and only got the wind knocked out of her when they fell. Her weight did a great deal to his stomach.

After their skid came to a halt, Aang still kept his tight grip on Holly. He did not want to open his eyes for the numbness to go away. Neither did Holly. She tilted her head back into the crook of his neck and took in the sun's rays before moving forward. They both caught their breath. She felt him hug her waist even more then he already was from the pain tingling back.

"Aang, don't _ever_ take a fall for me again!"

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter sort of drags on, but I couldn't skip a whole night and day and go straight to the mob chapter. I would feel like I'd be rushing. But yeah, I know I promised the big chap would be this one, but now it'll definately be the next one.**


	12. The First Taste of Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I gaurentee you that this chapter will at least be a little better then my prior one. Now that Holly and Aang are finally at the mob, I'll finally be able to write a lot more action, stories, etc.. So here it is:**

**Oh yeah, there was an error that I caught in my story when I read it again. Holly and Aang weren't flying two feet above the ground, it was ten haha, just trying to be a realist on that one. Sorry about that!**

**Hope my writing has improved since reading some advice recently :)**

* * *

Aang was expecting a polite "Thank you" from the girl that he just took a fall for, but it was the complete opposite. She sounded furious when she said to never do that again. He didn't understand. Weren't guys supposed to do that for girls?

Holly rolled off of him and got on her feet. "I know you just trying to be nice, but I'm not jokin', here. If I die, then it's not a big deal. But if you die, then all of us on this planet'll be in deep shit," she said while pointing her index finger at him as a matter of factly.

She held out a hand to help him up, so he took it. He felt like he was being lifted, rather then being helped for his balance. Her hands were almost half the size of his, but her knuckles were twice the size of his own. They stuck out immensely compared to the rest of her tiny hands.

"Now: I'm not to worried about the edge of town - no one wanders around here, but once we get to the center, then you're gonna have to help me out with somethin': The mobsters out there are masters of disguise, and I might not catch them right away. If you hear _one_ thing that's outta line, then you gotta let me know."

"Well, if I heard something, wouldn't you hear it too?" he asked curiously.

"I'm a little hard at hearing," she told him, pointing to one of her ears with a smirk. "We _cannot_ be spotted before we get to one of their shops. Be as quiet as possible. If we're spotted, then the whole thing's gotta be called off for the day, and I don't think we can waste any more time then we already have," she explained seriously. "Do I have your word?"

"Yes," he nodded. He was going to do whatever it took to get his friends back.

Holly shifted her eyes to the desert. "Let's get moving."

* * *

Here he was again: back in another jail cell, courtesy of the fire nation. Oh, how much he despised the fire nation, always taking the power that was rightfully his. . . He knew that things were going to change. Once he gets his hands on the avatar, he will allow his mafia to takeover everything. They have been hiding for so long, training everyday to gain knowledge that the fire lord doesn't even know of. Who knew how much power firebenders really have? If it wasn't for that silly girl allowing him to gain more and more knowledge every day from her own discoveries, then he would not have gotten this far. She has more strength in firebending, yes, but in the obvious rules of society, he was much smarter and wiser then this girl. She was simply doing all of the work for him, while he will gain the credit of ruling after all of this is over.

He could admit that he was shocked to find out that her intentions contradicted his own, but this could be easily arranged. Holly has already done the hard part of finding the avatar, and what was even better, is that he is alone! All that he has to do is get rid of that _girl_ that has prevented him from true power ever since she has stepped in the mafia, and capture the avatar as his own. Not only does he have the actual mafia on his side, but he also has managed to manipulate these fire nation individuals in helping with the kidnap.

Mainyu laughed at his plan that was soon to divulge.

* * *

Aang was not used to being so quiet for such a long period of time. Holly looked much too concentrated to be wanting to make conversation. It wasn't that they could talk, anyway. He already gave his word.

The other side of Haven city didn't look much different from the side that he was on a few days ago. There were still narrow dirt roads with huge, some windowless buildings on each side of them, there were still dark alleyways between a few select of the buildings, and the air was still cleared out of moisture. The sunlight was especially bright which only added to the intense heat. He could already feel a sunburn rising on his skin.

To the upper left of him, far into the sky, he spotted a series of damaged buildings in a cluster. It was where an explosion took place - where Holly took down that airship by herself. It still hasn't been repaired. It looked the same as it was the day that it happened accept that the smoke has finally left. He looked back at Holly. None of her expression has changed. It looked as though she was avoiding the disastrous scene. Her eyes mainly stayed in front of her, but occasionally, she would flicker them around when things didn't look right to her. When he watched her legs walk her down the road, he sensed weakness. Her walk was close to a literal limp, her entire weight shifted from side to side on each step.

She stopped. Her head turned to the left where there was one of those dark alleys. A flashback shocked through him where he was in one of those with her, still disoriented. He wasn't crazy about the fact that they were going to have to go back in one of them.

"Stay close to me," she breathed. "To where I can see you."

This is when Aang's heart rate sped up greatly. That was implying that it was dangerous down there. There could be mobsters down that very alley just waiting for them. It came down to the question of if he trusted her. Being close to being a fully realized avatar with months of training did not occur to him through his mind. Instead, he felt just as helpless as he was yesterday.

It was extremely dark (his eyes were slowly adjusting to the lack of brightness). He could barely see anything right in front of him accept the outlines of benches lining up against the buildings and some doors in between them. He tried to contain himself, and what was left was sharp breathing that broke much of the intense silence. Holly moved in front of him so stealthily, it was like she was floating.

Her head would tick to the left, then tick to the right, her hair following her sudden movements. They walked about halfway down the alley until she stopped again. There was a door on their left that matched the texture of the building it was connected to. He was scared to ask for further instructions.

She looked above her, to her front, and then left and right again before turning around to make sure that the coast was clear. "_Do you know your ways of vibrations through earthbending?_" she mouthed with her lips. There was barely a hiss that escaped her true voice.

Aang nodded. Holly then gave him an urging look to do so (with the help of her glowing eyes). He was not an expert when it came to vibrations. He was given one particular lesson with Toph when they brushed the topic of how you would go about in sensing vibrations by other's. She explained how she did it when they first met, but it never occured to him at the time to figure it out himself. And now, it was crucial to perform the task.

He closed his eyes to try to pretend that he was blind like his earthbending teacher. His heel dug into the dry soil to pretend that he wasn't wearing shoes: he felt a few distinct vibrations that he could just barely sense. They seemed to come and go and would disappear altogether if he lost his concentration for one moment.

"_How many people are there?_" she mouthed. He thought hard on trying to decide if it was two or three. His eyebrows lowered and he felt pressured under the moment. His heart was still racing just as fast.

Aang shrugged, holding up two, then three fingers in front of her face from the difference in height.

"_Help me capture and hide them._"

He nodded again. Holly placed her hand on the one side of the door. She held up her other hand, and while mouthing the numbers, she held up one finger. . . two. . . "_Three!_"

* * *

A series of very small pittering of vibrations bounced off against her feet. It was an ongoing pace. Whoever was walking outside was very light on their feet.

Someone was with them. This wave was more dominant. Yet, it felt weak and didn't follow the same pattern. This one was hard to recodnize.

But the other one. . . she knows who this is. . . could it be? How could it not be? She knows those footsteps anywhere. . .

_Twinkletoes._

"Katara." Her voice was raspy. She extended her arm out to the side of her, and it landed on her shoulder. She was slumped over again. She must not be conscious. That stuff was getting to her again. It was only a matter of time before it was going to get to her too.

The only other person that she could sense was Sokka. It would be a waste of her precious breaths to attempt to get his attention with her good news of small hope.

She clung onto it. She knew that if anyone was out there to save them, it was Aang. . . Water built up in her eyes. She fought her tears back, not wanting to be heard by _them_ again. They have done enough damage to them.

How long can they keep clinging on to dear life under these terrible spells? Toph can only hope.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Holly slid the door open and entered all in one movement. She was already in her firebending stance, so he quickly copied her. He had a hard time keeping up with her. She was already attacking when he got inside. He had no time to study her battle. One man was approaching him at his full speed. He was just like the men that he has been having nightmares about. This man had to be three times the size of him.

Being the swift airbender that he is, he blocked his attack. He chucked something at him. He was holding a weapon that resembled an enormous hammer.

_WHACK!_

He moved out of the way just in time. The weapon was hoisted at him again, instead breaking a wooden table that was once behind him. While he tried to pick his weapon back up, Aang thrusted a great deal of air up against his backside that threw him off his feet. He followed his attack by front-flipping another gust of air that sent him flying. His flopping body smacked against the wall across the room.

The huge, hammer-like weapon was astonishing. It didn't only break the table in half, but it was shoved into the ground, which is the same ground that was outside. It was in the shape of a cylinder at the front, as wide as two pairs of thick arms, and it was covered in inch-long spikes.

"Go check if he's out. I gotta go find a place to hide them somewhere." Holly was carrying the man that she has just defeated in battle on her back like she does with Aang when they fly somewhere, but this man was much larger then he was. She didn't look any more stressed with the more weight on top of her. He saw her tensing muscles at work when she left the room with the fainted man.

He did _not_ want to come any closer with the mobster that he just defeated. His fears were not dreams anymore. They were reality. The piercings and tattoos were there, as well as the selective choice in clothing. Seeing the mobsters in better lighting was even worse because of the higher resolution. The last time he saw them, their faces were illuminated by firelight.

"Did you check if he was out?"

How did she get back here so fast? he asked subconsciously. He lied and said, "Yeah."

"Not one to lie, are ya?" Holly thrusted the other huge man around her shoulders. He felt guilty for not helping her, even though she seemed to be doing fine on her own. Aang didn't respond to her question, considering it rhetorical.

And she was gone again.

He took this extra time to take a better look around the room he was standing in: It looked like a parlor of some sort, maybe not a restaraunt, but it's possible that it could be close to a bar. There were wooden tables and chairs scattered throughout the middle of the room (some of them destroyed from the battle). Against the wall to the right of him, there stood a lengthy table that stretched out across the entire wall. Wooden stools were aligned in a row in front of the table. At the very edge of the table, he noticed, there was another one of those trays filled with ashes again. Smoke was erupting from the ash just enough for him to be able to smell it from where he stood. The smell greatly reminded him of the smoke-filled room that he slept in overnight, causing a shiver to shoot up his spine.

Holly's head popped out of a doorway in the corner of the room next to the long table. She gestured with her hand for him to follow her in there. He trusted her in knowing that the coast would be clear. He walked across the room (stepping over the weapon stuck in the dirt) and through the other doorway as she said.

This must be the back of the parlor. It was even darker in this hallway from the lack of windows. In this small hallway, he could spot at least five other doorways with cloths and textiles used in the absence of a real door. Holly led them into the first next room to their right.

It was a room that he has never heard of or seen before. It was moderately small, very clausterphobic when there was no windows. Directly facing him, there was a wall that was covered in white and transparent cubies that were labeled with certain letters and numbers. To his right, stood a lonely wooden stool, identical to the ones in the larger room down the hallway. There was a tiny wooden table behind the stool with long droors below its surface. To his left, Holly was standing in front of a lifesize mirror. She glanced at her reflection before moving forward.

"Take a seat," she offered. She turned to face the wall of labeled cubies.

He obeyed. His hands clutched around the bottom of his seat deliberately.

Her small hand trailed down the rows. . . until she stopped her hand in front of a cubie labeled _L1_. Holly slowly reached in and pulled out a series of sparkly, some shiny studded rocks on a long piece of spongy material.

Aang turned his head away. He did not want to watch.

* * *

"How do I look?"

His head turned back, reluctantly. The end of her left eyebrow had two black balled-studs above and below it. Her left nostril matched with another black stud, only much smaller. The right side of her bottom lip was an open ring that wrapped around the inside, and at the font ends were black spikes. The bar that went through her ear twice stuck out from her extraordinary hair (he couldn't help but notice that the color has changed to near golden).

She lifted her shirt. A piercing that was exactly like her eyebrow's was through her belly button. All were black, some with swirled marks upon them that were foreign to him. Not only did that grab his attention, but he was astounded at the fact that she had six abs that harmonized with her prominant figure. He honestly thought that she would look much better if she was natural.

". . . Fantastic."

She smiled and said, "Thanks for tryin'." She always seemed to know when he was being truthfull or not. He thought that it was only possible for someone like Toph to determine the truth. Apparently, he was wrong.

"Be right back," she mumbled. When she left him in the small room, it hit him. He was in the middle of a city that was crawling with mobsters. His guide appears to be one. He is afraid of her at times, amazed by her at other times, and even sometimes he feels something that he's not sure of. The atmosphere of this place gave him the shivers. Breaking into a gaang shouldn't be this easy.

"Look this way."

Holly had an opened black case in the palm of her hand. Her golden eyes sunk into his. . . her hand reached towards his forehead. Aang was a few inches taller then she was while sitting on the stool. Her height still didn't seem real to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Covering up your arrows," she stated.

"But I thought that my arrows were gonna make up for it." He could not say the word _piercings_ anymore. It was bad enough to see a beautiful girl ruin her skin like she did. . . he held in his astonishment for realizing that he just called Holly beautiful. He tried as hard as he could to listen to her reply.

"Mobsters might be ditzy from the drugs, but they're not stupid," she told him bluntly. "They'll know the avatar when they see you just as the fire nation would."

"Can't I just wear a hat or something?" That's what he usually did when wearing a disguise. Holly looked into his eyes and said, "Aang: they'll be able to tell the difference."

She paused. He felt a sense of awkwardness for the fact that she was being so serious. There was no streak of fall-back in her expression. She meant what she said.

"Now, you probably want to lean over a bit," she suggested. With her other hand, she scooped up dark liquid from the case she was holding. Under the faint light, it reflected a shiny white tint. It looked like magic.

It was very cold against his scalp. Its properties were like none other he has witnessed of other liquids. He could feel the excess slide down his forehead. Holly's hand wiped it back up to where it was supposed to be. She was guiding it across his blue tattoos. The feeling was like suffocation to his skin. He was starting to sense the darkness just by wearing their makeup.

"You alright?" she asked.

Aang flinched, but he nodded, closing his eyes abrudtly. Holly didn't comment on this next lie. She tried to be as calm as she could with the makeup. It was hard to make it possible. None of the customs of Haven city were light accept she.

Her choice of designs were not convincing to her. They had to give a dark look to him. That was the truth. She couldn't treat him kinder because of her pity. That could be a togglement to his friends.

"This is all that I can come up with," she told him, still not content with her own artistic work of the Haven mob. They didn't have all day to play with makeup.

"I look. . ." He was afraid to look at himself with his new look. His reflection was unbearably contradicting himself. The air nomads were supposed to be light. And he was not so like that.

"It's not the outside that counts," she said, wiping her fingertips with an old dirty rag in the corner of the room. "If you look deep inside yourself - in your heart, then you'll see that none has left you. Your people, your family; your friends. . . You gotta keep that in mind for the rest of the day. Cause on the outside, this place is ruthless. . . but you might come to realize that it's something greater then that."

* * *

**I really hope that I didn't put too much detail into the last part of this chapter. I know they didn't do much, but I still kinda like it. I can't just skip through everything.**

**I tried to do alot of foreshadowing in this chapter. Mostly in the dialouge. Stay tuned for the next parttttt :D**


	13. Taking Chances

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Kinda done with making predictions here on what the chapter's gonna be like. It never turns out as what I planned. Not always a bad thing, but I'm probably confusing people lol so simply enjoy :)**

* * *

Aang was sitting in a pair of baggy black pants, his feet covered with metal-soled boots. His black shirt showed all of his arms and were cut on each sides, and there was a V-shaped collar that exposed half of his skin on his chest. More of the dark makeup was applied to the rest of his exposing tattoos. He felt cold and dark at the same time. He didn't think it to be possible to smile while in this state. It was like a dark storm cloud formed above his head.

_Clunk, clunk, clunk._

Holly's boots matched Aang, but her's were up past her ankles. Her pants were black, stretchy like elastic, ripped from her knees to the top of her thighs, and skin-tight. Her shirt was long, past her hips, and ripped in three places in a row over her stomach. It exposed her muscular arms like Aang's shirt did. Her collar was also a V-neck. He noticed a large scar that stretched across the top of her ribcage. The lighter color stuck out from the rest of her tan skin. He wondered where she got it from.

Her hair looked different then the last time he examined it. Now, many amounts of strands of hair were covering her forehead, one of her eye's, and the edges of her cheek and jawline. It looked extremely straight. It was slightly wavy the last time he saw it. . . it looked less unkempt.

"Sorry it took so long. I had to straighten my hair."

"You what?" he asked for the second time in the past twenty four hours.

"Straighten my hair," she repeated. She flipped her head to the side. Her hair fluffed higher on her forehead, flying out of the way of her eyes. Her strikingly glistening eyes pierced his. "You just put a piece of hair in between your hands and put heat to it. It's kinda like ironing clothes," she shrugged.

After a short pause, she spoke again. "So, you ready to go?"

"Um. . . where are we going, exactly?"

"I dunno. . . I was thinking about askin' around once we get to the center of the city. You're gonna have to play it off with me in order to sound convincing. . ." Holly sighed. Her eyes left the connection to his and wandered around the dusty parlor. "It'd probably be best if you didn't mention anything about the war - you probably don't wanna say anything about the fire nation at all. . ." Aang thought that she was done talking because of the long pause. He jumped when her voice erupted again. "In fact, it's probably best if you try to not talk at all. You can't lie worth shit."

"How do you know that I've been lying all of those times?" he asked curiously. It was sort of frustrating for him to always get caught with his little white lies. He usually got away with it when he was with everyone else, unless Toph's feet were on the ground. Even then, he still does pretty good at keeping his heartbeat steady - but how could Holly tell one's heartbeat if she's not an earthbender?

"I read your face. It tells me all I want to know about you, basically," she said.

"What do you mean by that?"

Holly chuckled. "Isn't it self-explanatory?" Aang's expression mentally told her that he was oblivious to her abilities. "Apparently not. . ." she mumbled. "But maybe I'll explain it to ya on another day. We can't stay here forever. Did you hear what plan A is?"

"Yeah, follow you around and don't talk," he rephrased negatively.

"Aang," she began. Her tone of voice lowered to a serious done drastically. She wasn't smiling anymore. "You have only seen _a little bit_ of what the mobsters can do. You, as a matter of fact, were pretty damn lucky to be in the state that I found you in-"

"Are you saying that there are people here that are treated worse then I was?" Aang was furiously shocked.

"I'm not tryin' to scare you, _believe me_, I'm not. But like I was sayin' earlier, this place ain't your ordinary gaang that you see in Ba Sing Se. . . I need another word from you. You must understand that if you don't agree to my requests, then it may cost your life, and probably your friends, too."

Aang didn't respond. He was blown away from the information he was recieving. He didn't feel like himself anymore. He was scared to hear what else that she had to say, but he knew that he had to for his friends.

Holly leaned her elbow against the counter in the small parlor. "It's not very likely that your friends will be as lucky as you were. The mobsters here. . . they don't go by the rules. They go _beyond_ the laws of nature, they try to beat its power. That's why they smoke certain kinds of plants that grow in the desert. . ." Holly cringed. "Your friends might be beaten down to the point where they can't keep their head above their shoulders. They could be so high that they can't walk in a straight line. They might be so drunk that they'll get too defensive and turn against you. . . some might be so unlucky enough to not make it."

Tears flowed down Aang's eyes. He clenched his fist over his mouth to prevent him from sobbing, therefore causing him to shake uncontrollably. Katara's face was the first image to appear in his mind. Holly's eyes were glassy, but she had more experience in containing her emotions. She continued to talk immediately after she saw his horrified face. She had a point to declare.

"But I need your word that you will _not panic_ when we find them. If the mobsters see _one trace_ of weakness written on your face, then you cannot be trusted. After that, we're both pretty fuckin' screwed 'cause once you're under their rule then you've lost your chance," she told him. "You need to be strong out there-" Holly's voice squeeked to a voice that a normal girl would have. She walked over and stood directly in front of him, crying into his shaky hand. With him sitting on the stool, she was close to eye-level with him. Aang ignored her presence. She knew that he was still listening, but that wasn't enough for her. It was crucial for him to understand.

"Look at me, Aang."

There were those gorgeous eyes again. They looked as beautiful as ever up close. His hand slid across his cheek as an attempt to wipe away his tears. He didn't know that it was possible for him to keep his tears from flowing out.

"You've lost your people before. You don't want to lose them again," she deliberately stated in the softest tone that he has ever heard from her. "This time, you have the chance to save them-"

"I don't know if I can do this, Holly," he squeeked.

"You have a chance to save them this time, Aang. You don't want to turn down a chance of saving your family, do you? You don't want to just give up, _do you?_ If there's a chance that they could be alive and well, then why would you turn them down, which could possibly lead to their downfall in the longrun?" Holly was lecturing him from her own past mistakes that she has made. This was a touchy subject for her.

"I'm not going to," he whispered through his gritting teeth.

"What?"

"I'm not going to," he repeated louder, sounding more like Holly then she does at the moment.

"Say that again?" She cupped her hand around her ear, pressing it against her metal bar.

Aang stood up, Holly took a few steps back.

"I'm not giving up."

* * *

"Toph?"

Katara was the one that was fully awake this time. Some of the smoke has passed through the creases of the tightly-shut door. Sokka was resting. He was the one that has been dealing with most of the gaurds' punishments to save her and Toph some time with them.

"Katara. . ." a small voice replied beside her.

"Toph, you're awake!" Katara threw her arms around the frail earthbender, forgetting that both of them were in great deals of pain at the moment. Both of them jumped from the sudden jolts of pain, but Toph didn't mind. She was just glad that she was okay. Finally, she had the chance to inform her.

"Katara. . ." she repeated. "I think he's here."

"Who's here?" she asked, jumping to the conclusion that it was one of the men that gave the worst beating.

"Aang, I think I felt his vibrations."

Katara's face went blank. "Are you sure?"

"I could feel two people walking somewhere at the edge of the city. One of the footsteps were so light, I just thought that maybe it could be Aang. I can tell his footsteps anywhere-"

Katara thrusted her weight back around her, "I hope you're right Toph, I really hope you're right, I dunno how much longer I can take it here."

Toph couldn't agree more.

_BOOM._

The door was threw open. An enormous shadow of a man appeared in the doorway. Toph could hear Katara crying.

"You got someone out there lookin' for ya, huh? You god damn bitch, you called someone up here to save your sorry ass? Huh?"

Katara buried her face in Toph's badly bruised shoulder. With no response, the man threw himself into the room and grabbed Katara by her shirt. "You fuckin' look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"You stay the hell away from my sister!"

Sokka jumped on the man's back and tackled him to the ground.

"NO!" Katara screamed. "DON'T HURT HIM!" She knew the consequences for fighting back. Sokka didn't care. He was being protective of her sister and Toph. He was willing to go through it all over again for them.

* * *

"Prince Zuko, Princess Azula, we have already arrived at Haven City, but there is still no trace of Holly Wilson and the avatar!"

"That's impossible!" Zuko denied. The gaurd flinched from his sudden burst of anger.

"Land the ship at the edge of the city. They couldn't of gone far," Azula commanded. "All of you must search for them in the city!"

"But Princess, what shall we do with Mainyu?"

"Take Mainyu with you. He is clearly useful in finding Holly and the avatar," she said.

"Azula, are you sure that's safe?" Zuko asked. He did not trust Mainyu. It doesn't seem like common sense to him to welcome a prisoner into the fire nation and be trusted enough to let him guide their men through the trecherous city. They had about fifty people on board, but he had a feeling that it might not be enough in battle.

"Of course it is safe. His only concern at the moment is to find them, and so is ours. It doesn't matter if they want them for himself or not because in the end, they will be ours."

The gaurd nodded and left the two to argue, heading off to the driver of the airship.

"How can you be so sure of that? We don't know what he's capable of yet!"

"Are you, the prince of the fire nation, denying the power of your own people?"

"No, Azula, that's not what I mean! I'm just trying to think this through! I have a feeling that we're going to make a big mistake, here," he admitted. His unfaithfulness was discouraging Azula's newly-found relationship towards him. He had a very deep feeling that things are not going to go well today. He wasn't feeling confident of his sister's plan. It wasn't making sense to him.

He looked out the window next to him. The ship was already lowering for landing. It was too late to change their plans, now. Nothing was going to get through his sister. He knew that something was going to happen. The tragedy was floating above their heads. Azula was making a big mistake.

Zuko buried his face into his hands. He couldn't believe the great lack of authority he had in the fire nation. He doesn't even remember why he took her side in the first place. It seems so long ago for him. He was missing out on lots of things that he was destined to do. Up to this point, he surely was having second thoughts about their choices. His Uncle Iroh wouldn't be this blind. . .

* * *

They were walking again, much to Aang's surprise, since she had just helped him have an epiphany. Things were just like they were a couple of hours ago. An erie silence presented itself well between the two extraordinary benders. Holly, of course, fully recooperated herself as if nothing has ever happened. Aang, on the other hand, still had the cills pumping through his veins. His head was lowered to the dusty, dead-dry ground. He stared at his black boots, still mentally disturbed by his own experience.

Holly began to look even more paranoid about her surroundings then last time. They were reaching farther and farther into the city every step that they took. The farther they walked, the more dangerous the city will become. That was made very clear by her before they left.

Aang heard something. It sounded like wind, but he knew that there wasn't from the weather because they were in the middle of a desert. Airbenders were not a considerable option, so it couldn't be a person.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered. He trotted up next to where Holly was walking.

Her head whipped behind her shoulder, followed by her entire body turning the opposite way. When she realized that no one was visible, she studied the scene carefully to make sure. If she was going to spot anything suspicious, then she will investigate.

But nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Are you sure you heard something?" Holly asked him.

"Yeah. I can still hear it. It sounds like wind, but I don't think-"

Holly spiraled into the air with her bright white fire surrounding her. In mere seconds, she landed on her feet onto the shortest building in sight (which was still tall). Once she was settled, she squatted to avoid being seen. She squinted her eyes into the distant horizon that spread across the vacant desert. Her hair was blocking a great deal of her perfect eyesight which could become a big deal if there really was something out there. She flipped her side-swept hair to the side.

She spotted it. An airship was sitting against the edge of town. It was almost two miles away. She examined closer, increasing the glistening of her eyes. Fire nation soldiers were exiting the airship. It was the same airship that she was in yesterday. They finally caught up with them.

One of them looked familiar. She wasn't facing her, so she could not determine who it was by the back of the person's head.

A young man around Holly's age walked out of the airship. He had a large scar that swept across the side of his face. She could conclude that it was Zuko, the only person from the fire nation that seems decent to her. If he was Prince Zuko, then the other person ordering the soldiers to form a straight line must be his sister, Azula. When she zoomed in on Zuko, he did not look too thrilled to be on the mission they were about to set off. This only further explained her hope in him. She knew she wasn't wrong in sparing his and Azula's life.

She saw red in her mind. It was a fiery, crimson red. The mob boss, Angra Mainyu, exited the airship with the assistance of two soldiers. He was a prisoner, but she already knew what his plan was. He must have found out that she turned on him on her mission and took the avatar's side. And now, he's manipulating the fire nation for extra men to take her down so he can have the avatar for himself. His sly expression explained it all.

She knew that they were in trouble now. It was going to be difficult enough to break his friends out of the tight grasp of the mafia, but now Mainyu is in town, who is equally matched with her in battle. It would have to rely on how long one could withstand fighting for so long, and so she already knew that she might lose in the longrun. Mainyu may be well into his years, but Holly has many weaknesses from being knocked down so often in her days in the mob. Her legs are permanently damaged, making her agility be very limited. The only thing that Holly has that he doesn't, is white fire, which she was acquired with at a young age.

"Do you see anything?"

Holly's concentration broke. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a moment of rest, calming down her nerves and emotions. Things weren't going to be solved by panicking.

She stood back up and hopped off of the building, using her fire as leverage for her legs. She tried to land as calmly as she could on her feet.

"Are you aware of the names Zuko and Azula?"

"Zuko and Azula?" His face expression was blankly shocked. Holly nodded.

"They've been following me around the world ever since I came back. Azula almost killed me with lightning in Ba Sing Se." He still hasn't forgotten. He still has the scar on his back to prove it.

"We have a lot less time then I thought," she said.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Those god damn fire nation dumbasses are gonna wake 'em up. They're already fuckin' walkin' in the town," she hissed through her gritted teeth. She was just as upset as Aang was. Not only would the world be in peril without the avatar, but she has developed a certain relationship with him on a personal level. She just met him a few days ago, and she already knows that she would deeply care for his passing. His friends following in his footsteps wouldn't be something to smile at, either.

"What are we gonna do?"

Holly shook her head; again, and again, and again. Quickly, she redeemed herself.

"Come on:" She charged her way down the narrow streetway, grabbing Aang's hand and pulling him with her. With all of the emotions he was having at once, he still noticed himself blushing.

Holly was going to sacrifice her own health in stamina to save Aang and his friends. She was going to try to outrun the fire nation, finding his friends before they did and before they wokeup the city. It was a huge risk, very dangerous, and with only a slight chance in succeeding. She wasn't going to give up on that small chance.

* * *

**Pretty deep, huh?**

**Review if you're cool**


	14. Panic

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**So I just found out today that Mike and Bryan are making another show for Nick that's in the avatar world, how fucken sweet is that? Kinda upset that Aang won't be there, but who knows, considering how awesome the creators are, this show might be even better (:**

**On with the story:**

* * *

Zuko could not keep himself from shooting glances at the city standing before him. He felt like he was the only person that was moderately paranoid about it. Azula didn't look like she knew what they were facing. She stood up straight, watching her appointed soldiers file out of their airship (she would shoot glances at the soldiers not doing exactly what they were told). The soldiers looked emotionless. He felt bad for them. They weren't treated fairly by his sister.

He tried the best that he could to prevent this mission from happening. He had to keep reminding himself in his mind that if this wasn't done, then it would be a betrayment by his father. At times, he would admit to himself that he honestly doesn't think that it would be worth it. His gut feeling was making him certain that they were going to walk away tonight with less then half of the men that they have now. Innocent lives are going to be taken. He is so sure of it.

What would his Uncle Iroh say?

* * *

Mainyu was the last man to exit the airship. He was being escorted by two of the soldiers that were specifically ordered to not let him out of their sight. It didn't matter to him. In the end, they won't be bowing to the fire nation anymore. He'll have all of these men under his power. Once he has these men, he can use them to takeover the entire fire nation. It serves him right. . . he needs some revenge. He'll get them back for what he did to his precious mafia.

True, Holly was leader for a number of years before him, but that was no big deal. The mobsters have more respect for him then her anyway (If it wasn't for his death threats and tortue, then none of this could be possible. Holly didn't use her power to its fullest extent like he did.). The mobsters, at least, have some common sense in their minds. They are aware that women are not capable of running a mafia like theirs. He has more experience for this job. They know that he will not betray them and turn to the _avatar's side_. He is much more intelligent then that. His duty is to bring the mobsters to full power. It won't be long that the water tribes, earth kingdoms, and the fire nation will be inferior to the Haven mob.

Mainyu took his first step into his city. It has been much too long, he thought. He could not contain his laughter any longer. He chuckled deeply, his smile in sync with his excitement. The soldiers grasping each of his long arms gave him puzzled looks. It will be any moment now that someone will hear them marching down the road. It was, in fact, fairly loud. It was hard to ignore.

* * *

Aang dropped his head to his feet in shock.

"Holly, I can feel them marching!" He forgot that he had to keep his voice down. It wasn't much of a deal anymore.

"C'mon, dont' slow down!" she said in the same level of volume. "Look for an alley, it doesn't matter which one!"

"You're the one that has the good eyesight!"

Holly didn't respond with her voice, rather she pulled him to the right so hard that he felt his shoulders, neck and wrist pop where she was holding his hand. Her grip was firm and strong. The only thing preventing a lock even stronger was her oversized knuckles. He could feel scars across the skin when his fingertips slipped over them. Being so close to her made him feel less confident about his own physical strength.

They walked about ten feet down the dark alley, which was exactly the same as the other two that he's been through. The only things different were the two buildings that were making it. The doors were in different places. Holly kicked down the first door that she spotted. Aang was so shocked that he jumped away from the ground, feeling his heart rate accelarate. The door's bolts flew in all different directions, leaving the thick slab of wood to pummel to the ground with an alarming boom.

She was attacking the moment after the door was kicked down. He didn't even know who was in there yet. Many amounts of clouds of smoke billowed out of the door. Aang felt sick to his stomach again. It was just like before, the feeling was coming back to him. Regardless, he felt forced to charge into the room where he would have no knowledge of who was in the room.

_He wanted to move forward, but he was stopped by a naucious feeling in the pit of his stomach. The feeling was making him feel loopy on his feet. It confused him greatly because he didn't remember anything after he saw Katara being carried away. He felt his lip tremble, following up from his tears. He sniffed his nose, trying to hold back - he coughed from taking in too much smoke._

He coughed from taking in too much smoke.

Holly was so close to telling Aang to go and wait outside, but she can't have him out there either. That was where it would be most dangerous. She felt bad for him. He shouldn't have to be going through any of this.

She continued finishing off the man in the vacant apartment. She recodnized him, realizing that he has been a mobster longer then many. He was only a couple of years older then she. This was one of her ex-boyfriends.

How awkward.

"Chris?"

She led up her grip that was thrusted upon his neck. He coughed, but not from the smoke. Holly was strong.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked between his thrusting coughs. He put his hand over his punctured neck that began to change colors.

Holly stared into his eyes. She wanted to cry. She didn't know how much that she's missed him until this moment. He missed his face, he missed his voice. . . he hasn't changed at all. He was, in Holly's opinion, the most normal-looking person in the mob. He was wearing dark, denim pants with a gray tank top. He wore a few necklaces, and only two piercings in the ears. His hair was a very dark brown that appeared black to some (there were no crazy layers or weird, buzz-cut desings. It was long enough to reach the middle of his forehead, and that was all that was to it.). He was very muscular, much like herself, that was clearly noticable. His eyes stuck out from the rest of his appearance. To Holly, they were beautiful. People that saw them could never tell if they were green or blue, but they were bright and colorful. That was what struck her the most.

"Uh, Holly. . . you might wanna get a move on," Aang rasped through the smoke.

She snapped herself out of it, but still dropped the level of urgent emergency immensely. "I don't have much time. I went through with the plan to do what I can for what's best in the world. I'm with the avatar - Aang - there's fire nation soldiers marching through Haven as I speak. The mob's captured Aang's friends, and we're on a pretty tight schedule right now, so d'you mind leading us to them?" She expected Chris to give her a response that claims how strange that she is to be asking such a question, but it was much different then that.

"Who are his friends?"

"Um-" she panicked, trying to think of all of their names off the top of her head. She was unsuccessful. Instead, she described them, "One's a waterbender with long brown hair, she's got a brother with a ponytail and looks alot like her. One's got dark hair up in a bun, she's a blind earthbender, she's 'bout my height."

Chris hezitated, but he knew that he's heard about them somewhere. "I think Shehr's got 'em somewhere. I heard Yao talkin' about it with Bvilo-"

Holly shoved her lips onto his. Surprisingly, he kissed her back. He slided his hands around her waist and deepened the kiss. Holly had a terrible feeling that this was going to be the last time that they'll see each other. It was hard enough to leave him for Mainyu in The Boiling Rock. For so long, she has managed to pretend that her relationship with him has never existed. But once she saw those eyes of his, she knew that nothing has changed. The awkwardness was gone.

"I love you," Holly said shakily. "Take care of yourself."

Holly stepped away, his hands leaving her waist. She slipped away from him again. And this time, he might not be able to see her again.

"I love you too."

Holly siezed Aang, who was extremely puzzled, and pulled him out of his apartment.

* * *

These footsteps were the opposite of Twinkle Toes's. Not only could she feel dozens and dozens of footsteps, but she could hear them with her critique hearing. It felt like a group of men. They couldn't be from this city, so who was it?

"Do you hear that, Toph?" Sokka whispered just loud enough for it to be slimly audible. Toph nodded, letting her anxiousness show on her face.

"What is it, though?" Katara asked in the same whisper.

"They're all marching. I think there's about fifty of them," Toph informed.

"Maybe they're here to save us!" Katara breathed.

"I don't know, Katara. We don't wanna get our hopes up," Sokka whispered. From all of the injuries that he had that were scattered across his face and body, he had less faith then he did a few days ago. None of them were strong enough to even mention Aang's name. It was obvious to why he was separated from them that night. Deep down in Katara's heart, she hoped and hoped every second that she was here that he was going to come back for them. She had hope that he was still out there.

"_Teng!_" a loud voice shouted from outside of the metal door, from the hallway.

"Shehr?"

"What the fuck's going on out there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I'm some kind of a dumbass? You know what the hell I mean!" Shehr's voice boomed. This was the first time that any of them heard his voice today. He usually doesn't awaken until the sun is down. "Now go check what's out there!"

The marching was persumably louder now. They were marching right outside of their room. Toph was able to determine the men. There were two that she recodnized. Zuko and Azula were walking on each sides of the group.

"It's the fire nation."

* * *

"I've heard that name before, Holly, he was there that morning that I was here!" Aang told her, still being dragged down the road by his will.

"What did it look like in there?"

"Um, I dunno, it was full of smoke in there. I wokeup in a bed, and I think there was a table and chairs in the room next to mine. . ."

"That can't be where he's got 'em," she denied.

"Then where do you think they are?"

"My best guest is at the enforcer's headquarters, but we're not anywhere near that damn place, we've already passed it!" Holly stopped walking, let go of Aang's hand and slapped them across her face in stressfulness. Aang had no idea what an "enforcer's headquarters" was, but it didn't sound like a very pleasant place to be locked up in.

"So if we go back, then we'll run into the fire nation!" Aang added once he realized it.

"Get on."

Holly's desperate plan was to fly him over there. She was bent over, just like this morning, but this time, it wasn't a joke. Aang didn't care anymore. He jumped onto her back the moment he heard her.

"They're gonna see us, aren't they?"

"Yup."

Holly bent her knees, and shot up from the ground, her white fire shooting out from the bottoms of her feet. She didn't want to think of the possibility of the fire nation being equipped with bows and arrows. Their fire was useless against her. Her white fire would only absorb it. Either way, Aang would be safe from them.

Aang could not see a thing from the high speeds that they were reaching. The buildings on each side of him only looked like smudges of earth tones. He didn't know how Holly would be able to spot one specific door to where his friends were. But if she can see a large group of men from two miles away and know that one of them was Zuko was very impressive. The only thing that he would be able to see would be the airship.

The fire nation was still noticable. It looked like a swarm of different colors of red and black. They must be specifically placed in rows because it looked like a perfect square.

Holly descended them as low as she could to the ground. It was low enough to run into the crowd of soldiers.

* * *

"Azula, is that them?" Zuko demanded. It was the same bright light that he saw from his airship, but this time they were much closer, and flying towards him. It was hard to look at from the intense brightness. He couldn't see anyone around the light, but there was no other way that it would not be them.

Azula did not respond, but instead, gathered lightning with distinct arm movements. Soon enough, she shot it out of her arm with her best aim. She thought that it was a perfect shot. Much to her shock and furiousness, it quickly changed its course and shot directly to the sky. Zuko could not believe it. His Uncle Iroh told him that he made up that move by himself: redirecting lightning. Either one: he lied. Or two: he wasn't aware of it. The second possibility seemed more accurate to him.

She got knocked off of her feet. He saw his sister fall to the ground on the other side of the marching soldiers. Someone shot lightning at her with even better accuracy then _Azula?_

"Attack!" he commanded reluctantly.

* * *

"Your friends are gonna have to wait! We're right there, but they're in the way! We gotta finish 'em off! You up for it?"

"Uhm," he hezitated. "Sure!"

They were getting closer and closer to the fire-shooting soldiers. . . "Here we go!"

And they charged right through the crowd. Holly was the one taking all of the pressure of head-butting them all. The white fire would be invincible against them, therefore taking all of them down quickly. She was so concentrated on winning this battle that she wasn't thinking about the mobsters arising.

That shock of lightning didn't come from her. She only redirected Azula's.

Someone shocked the fire right out of her. When she came out of the crowd, her fire died, and her and Aang separated. They went flying for another fifteen feet until finally brutally landing on the dusty ground. Holly felt her leg pop where it was broken last time. She yelped and howled loud enough to make Aang get right back up again and run to her aid.

She saw Mainyu, who was looking over his shoulder, smirking to himself at his accomplishment. Half of the crowd of soldiers were laying on the ground with burns everyone on their body. There was a separation in the crowd where they just flew through (the ones that were unharmed were going to everyone else's aid). Mainyu turned around. Him being the only one with no injuries, she knew that it was him.

"Holly, are you okay?" Aang asked, kneeling next to her. Holly was clutching her left kneecap with labored breathing. Her face made him think that she was about to cry. He didn't understand. He landed the same way that she did, and he was fine. He knew something was off about her legs when she walked.

He noticed Mainyu walking towards them. He got up and got in a defensive stance. "Get away from her!" he threatened, not knowing who this man was. He looked nothing like a mobster, but only a crazy old man. Ironically, this was the current mob boss.

"Aang," she called. She was holding her hand out, requiring an assistance.

He knew that he didn't have a choice. He looked at Mainyu again, who was still drawing nearer, so quickly moved his glance back to her. He took her small hand and helped her up. She was in a limp, using one leg to support her instead of two. She almost lost her balance when her good leg buckled in place. Aang put his arm around her waist and caught her before she fell.

"I'm okay, Aang, you gotta get out of here," she said through her weak breath.

Before he could ask why, his question was already answered. Another bolt of lightning shot at them, this time by Mainyu. Holly caught it just in time and sent it back to him through the other hand. Now, she had no support.

The mobsters have officially arrived. One by one, they were coming out of their buildings from the alleys, some from the front.

"Do not attack!" Mainyu boomed, echoing his voice throughout the area. "This is my Angi Kai!"

* * *

"Did they just leave?" Sokka asked in a louder whisper. "I mean, like, all of them?"

"They're all going outside," Toph explained. "The rest of the soldiers are running to the ones that were burned. The other people from the city are walking to the scene, and-"

She stopped.

"What?" Katara encouraged. "What is it?"

"It's Aang, Katara! He _is_ here!"

"Are you sure? Are you sure it's him?" Sokka asked, ignoring Katara's wheeps of joy. He wanted to be sure this time. There were too many instances where their minds would just be playing with them.

"Yeah, he's with that girl that we met before we were attacked! I knew she was on our side!" Toph's voice wasn't a whisper anymore. She didn't care at this point, and no one was there to notice. They all went outside. "But I think she's injured, too. She's only standing on one leg and - she's fighting?" She couldn't sense the precense of fire very well.

"Where's Aang?"

"I don't know, he's just walking around. He might be attacking too, maybe he's airbending," she guessed.

"We have to go help him!" Sokka ordered.

"How are we supposed to help him? None of us are in any fit state to fight!" Toph proposed. "And besides, I don't even have the strength to break down that door!"

"We can't just sit here, Toph!" Katara added. "We have to do something!"

"He just got knocked down," she said, her voice lowering.

"Is he okay?" Katara urged desperately.

Toph shifted her feet on the ground. The metal door cringed like a crumpled-up piece of paper. It dropped to its death. "Help me up, guys. We're going out there."

They all helped them stand up together, ignoring the pain for Aang's sake. Toph used the wall for assistance while holding onto Katara's hand, who was holding her brother's. It felt nice for them to stand up again on their own.

"Wait a minute, shouldn't we have a plan first?" Sokka asked.

"I think there's some water in the other room. Maybe I can heal some of our wounds so we can fight!" Katara suggested, smiling at her own idea.

"Come on, then, we have to get a move on! The battle's already started!"

* * *

The rest of the fire nation soldiers didn't know what side they should take. The mobsters were attacking them, but they were after the avatar as Mainyu was. The avatar was too surrounded by them to be paying attention to themselves.

Once Zuko helped Azula get back on her feet, she looked farther down the road. He saw Holly, balancing herself on one leg, redirection lightning from back-to-back. Mainyu would not stop shooting them at her. He has never seen such swistfulness with so much power from one firebender in his life. Holly looked like she was going to give out at any moment, but every time he thought that she would, she still kept attacking.

Aang was trying to hold off numerous mobsters at one time. He had about a dozen that were surrounding him. He was already pinned to one of the buildings.

Holly looked over her shoulder for less then one second, looked back at Mainyu, and shifted her one good foot against the ground. All at once, the mobsters dropped dead. Just like the soldiers in his airship did. From this, she lost her balance, being forced to use her broken leg to catch her fall. Her thick arms flailed around in the air.

Mainyu used this to his advantage. He flew her off of her feet-

"Prince Zuko!" a soldier called. "What are your orders?"

"Don't mind the avatar, for now. Attack the mobsters!"

That was the main priority for any non-mobster that wants to survive.

* * *

**Wow, lots of action, don't really like the ending though.**

**Revieww**


	15. Reunited

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I just came up with a few great ideas to extend this story. It'll be intenseee**

**Sarge619- thanks for being the only one reviewing my chapters!**

* * *

It was like she hit the ground in slow motion. The complete fall was in slow motion. Devistation, desperation, and pain took over her entire body, it gradually grew and grew. She has been defeated. Her shoulder blades were the first to meet the ground, her broken leg sent shockwave after shockwave to her brain that it was hurting enough to bring tears to her purely golden eyes. This was the end. She failed her mission. The mobsters were going to go after her at any moment, possibly even Mainyu himself.

* * *

Aang was no longer surrounded. There was no one else left to fight with. All of them - everyone battling, turned their attention towards Holly and the man that she was fighting. He had nothing else to do but to watch, himself.

His skin was tingling to numbness, watching Holly pummel to the ground with great impact. He heard her squeel in pain, and once again, seizing her left kneecap with her little hands. Her black outfit was covered in dirt and blood down the front of her from the first fall. Her hair that was usually fluffed everywhere around her face accept her eyes, was now plastered over them with sweat from her exhaustion.

"You silly. . . little. . . _girl!_" the man spat, coming ever so closer to her. "You actually thought that your useless plan was going to work? You actually thought that you could get away with infiltrating _my_ mafia. . . to save the _avatar?_ The boy that I sent you to capture?"

There was no response. Holly either did not want to respond, or was unable to. Aang could see her withering on the ground through some of the mobsters that were crowding around her. He would not leave his eyes to another sight, therefore he did not notice that he still was not alone, despite the bickering between them as they reminded each other that they must not kill the avatar. That was the only thing that was keeping him alive.

"You fucken son of a bitch," Holly said in such a dark voice. "You know damn well the mobsters don't really respect your ass."

"Don't they, now?" Mainyu laughed just as darkly as she.

Aang made his way through the crowd of terrifying mobsters. He did his best to not keep his eye contact with them. All were well above his height, and well above his weight in muscle. Aang didn't care anymore. He still shoved his way through until he made it to Holly's side, where the man was pacing around her like prey.

"Get away from her!" he threatened, getting back into his stance.

Mainyu looked at him. His eyes were just as golden as Holly's, but they appeared very sunken and worn out. There was a dark appearance behind them. He looked like he had the equal amount of power as Holly, only his was evil.

"Ah, and you must be the avatar, himself! How convenient, that I find both of you standing before me."

"Get out of here, Aang!" Holly ordered. Though she was undergoing loads of pain, he could still sense the seriousness in her vacant expression and dark tone of voice.

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary, Holly. I'm sure he would find Haven much more comfortable then the desert surrounding it."

"You think you're so _fucken_ important to use that name in front of me!" Holly rasped.

"Unless I am mistaken, Holly, I thought that you changed your last name because you do not take pride in your true blood? Wasn't that why you decided to betray us all?"

Holly narrowed her eyes. Her mouth was curved into the form that looked like a gowling animal. She looked like she was ready to kill.

Aang turned his gaze back over to the man standing directly ahead of him. "Who are you?"

"Oh, please, excuse me for my lack of manners today, avatar, I have quite a lot on my plate to deal with at the moment: I am Angra Mainyu, ruler of this city and mafia that we call _Haven_." His eyes quickly flickered to Holly after his emphasis. Holly's face did not move an inch ever since they have spoken before. He didn't know what was bothering her so greatly about his words. He knew that they knew something that he didn't. It was evident.

"To avoid confusement, shall I explain why we are all gathered here today? Shall I explain who this girl really is to you before you lose your chance? I'm quite sure that it would be necessary before we. . . dispose of you.

"You see, this girl, at my feet, has even more secrets that have been lingering under her skin for quite some time. And I am referring this to all new members of my mafia. This is not Holly Wilson, my friends, this is one of the descendents from the Haven's themselves! Her true name. . . her true insignia is in fact: Holly Haven."

There were gasps in the crowd of horrifying mobsters, and a soft buzz of whisper comotioned the crowd. Aang was the only one that did not know how this had to do with anything. It was pretty weird for him to find out that Wilson was not her real last name, but that was all that he thought of it. All that he could do is remain standing and continue to listen to his preach.

"At a very young age, Ms. Haven discovered how ruthless the fire nation was, and how curel they were to all. Ultimately, she did not want to be one of them! She wanted to rid her name from being apart of them! But where would she turn to next? There is only one named firebender to ever go against their ways and live - without being apart of this mafia. Being the small child that she was, she knew that it would be obviously impossible to perform something so great.

"Coincidentally, her delightful parents who are responsible for creating such a mob were able to give her a place to fit in, but of course, they were too dim-witted to figure out that this mafia is no place for a nine year old _girl_. They only serve one purpose here, if old enough. Holly was not. . .

"I have honestly tried to persuade the Havens to not let their child into this world at such a young age (being the simple mobster that I was), but they disagreed. They claimed that she would be safe here under their protection because we all respected their policies." Mainyu raised his arms, gesturing toward every mobster that was patient enough to listen. Aang looked at them for one moment, and then sensed their anger. "One day, we were informed that the Havens were murdered, unknowingly, and so it left their dear daughter all alone in the city when she was only eleven. In the course of two years, she has, as I come to think of it, unnaturally transformed into a master of firebending. The top authorities of our mafia believed that it was a miracle, and so heavenly, appointed her as the next leader. . . In my opinion, I say that they are fouls."

Half of the crowd cheered. The more Aang looked around, the more mobsters he spotted. They were overpopulating by the minute. There were hundreds of them gathered up on this tiny narrow street. This left the surviving fire nation soldiers to be forced out of their way. This was no longer just about getting Aang's friends back. He never expected this much drama to come along forth.

When the area became quiet, Mainyu spoke again. "Look at who our former leader truly is: a manipulating, self-centered, greedy little _bitch_!"

Everything moved in fast-forward at this point. People and soldiers alike scrambled in their places, and Holly threw herself in the air with the help of her enormous muscles from her arms. Her white fire followed suit, it was thrown in Mainyu's face like the dust under his feet. With no want in stopping, she remained balancing on her hands while spinning around like a twister, with her fire acting like the wind.

Mainyu caught one of her ankles that happened to be connected to her broken leg. The pressure was searing and tearing more of her tendends and knee joint. She fell to the ground once more, smacking her face in the dirt. Aang thought that this would be the perfect time to change into the avatar state. He knew that his seventh chackra was blocked, but he went into it in the desert with Holly. Why isn't it working now?

He chose to use his own strength, coming from Aang, not the avatar. He gusted a small, yet powerful whip of air that smacked Mainyu right in the face. He fell backwords. Every mobster looked at him in awe. Holly was freed from his grasp, and again, fell to her peril. She was gravely injured. It was coming to the point where she could barely move, let alone battle with this mob boss.

"AANG, GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" Holly bellowed over the rest of the loud and gasping voices.

"I'm not leaving you here!" he protested.

Laying on her stomach, Holly blocked an attack that could not be seen from the naked eye. She did so by smacking the palm of her hand against the ground at just the right moment to block Mainyu's flow of deadly electricity.

In bitter anger and frustration, Mainyu ran to Holly and attempted to kick her in the face with the heal of his metal-soled boots. Holly was quick enough to grab his ankle, twist it in the air, and throw him on the ground a few feet beside her. Aang felt the vibrations from the excrutiating fall, knowing that any normal person would be incapable in doing a move like she had just performed. Holly was still under much pain and exhaustion.

Then, something happened that none of them saw coming. A slice of water knived its way through Mainyu, it being sharp enough to rip through his clothes. That definately did not come from him.

A slab of earth erupted from the dry ground, jabbing him in his side. Mainyu tossed over more then once like a rag doll. Not knowing where these attacks came from, he could not defend himself. He layed there, spread eagled.

Aang looked left, then looked right, then forward, and left again. With his rapid impatientness, he couldn't find the one who was bending all of these elements.

Holly did not take this into consideration. Instead, she took the chance that she was given to give the final blow. With her signature fire, she used all of the breath that she had left to send him flying back so far to run into the crowd like a bowling ball. Not even a moment after, she sent a shockwave of electricity through to ground to travel to Mainyu's body. His muscles gave way, but that was all that could be determined.

"AANG!"

_Katara._

He whipped his head around, and before he saw it coming, a pair of arms wrapped around him. Her body ran into him with so much force that he almost lost his balance and fell over.

Before he had time to take it in, four other arms joined in, echoing the excited chants of Katara's.

"I can't believe you're okay!"

"We've finally found you!"

"It's good to see you again, buddy!"

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"Guys!" he interrupted. "We have to get out of here!" He didn't mean to cut the celebration short, but there were still mobsters in their presence. They could be attacked by any given moment. By no means, did he want to lose them again. He had enough of this town, he wanted to get out of this place before it could possibly get any worse.

A loud, deep groan shattered the ear drums of everyone. Could it be?

"APPA! MOMO!"

Aang's two loyal pets came soaring above the rooftops of the buildings, looking the same as ever. Everything was left in his saddle in the same place that they were left in. Momo was peacefully chirping on the crown of the flying bison's head. He calmly floated his way into the narrow streetway, then making a startling entrance. More then a few mobsters were knocked over from Appa's gust of wind as he landed.

Before he could continue any further, he knew that something needed to be taken care of, first, and that was taking Holly back and away from the mobsters down the road. Now that he looked over there, he saw that she was being engulfed by them. She was still unable to stand on her own two feet. She was battling on her stomach, using nothing but her two bare hands. She was still going at it, he noticed as he saw flashes of the brightest light he has ever laid eyes on. He knew that he wasn't done here, yet.

"You need to help me save Holly, please, _we need to save her!_"Aang pleaded. The rest of the gaang had no time to question.

To finish it off, the four of them attacked left from right with all of their might in order to save Holly. Katara, Sokka and Toph knew that it was necessary to put their doubts aside for her and Aang's sake. Toph figured out, at this moment, that the other pair of footsteps that she sensed earlier today, actually belonged to her's. The one that she had no trust in the first day that they met.

Aang was the one that gently turned her over and picked her up. It was a beautiful, yet miserable thing for him to experience. She looked beautiful, yet she was in a terrible to death condition. Surprisingly, she was as light-weight as any girl that was her height. Still, she was equipped with strength that was beyond the measures of anything else? Holly was strong enough to take down hundreds and hundreds of mobsters, including its leader (if she was given the chance). They did not find his friends on their own. But that didn't mean anything to him. He knew that they were going to one way or another, deep down. She was willing to do all of this for _him_. She was willing to go through all of this pain and effort to save _his_ friends?

Holly Haven was in _his_ arms.

"Come on, Aang! We don't have much time!" Sokka yelled from Appa's saddle. How did he get there so fast? He was sitting on Appa's head, his hands grasping the reins, ready at any given moment to set off.

With the help of his airbending, he brought the two of them into the saddle. He managed to avoid any of the remaining mobster's attacks. He held Holly closer to him. He did not want to let go at any costs. He didn't want her to suffer anymore then she already has. She has done quite enough for him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and took the fall for her.

_Holly rolled off of him and got on her feet. "I know you just trying to be nice, but I'm not jokin', here. If I die, then it's not a big deal. But if you die, then all of us on this planet'll be in deep shit," she said while pointing her index finger at him as a matter of factly._

He didn't care. He would take the fall for her anyday.

"Yip yip!" Sokka chanted. Appa immediately took off. Katara blocked all of the attacks from the air. From all of the bows that were sent from their arrows, Katara blocked all of them. Her water swirled around Appa like a protective shield. Aang trusted her that they wouldn't get hurt. Finally, he was safe. . .

* * *

"Aang!" Katara's urgent voice took him by surprise. He jumped, gasping his eyes open. Was this all a dream?

"Help me lay her out so I can heal her!"

It was real.

Katara observed Holly for the first time up close. There were scratches and burns that were scattered across her face, most that looked from skidding across the desert ground. Her hair was going in all one direction along the side of her face, a good amount covering her eyes that blocked Katara from noticing them. She couldn't help but stare at her piercings on her face and ears. Her appearance was scaring her, reminding her too much of the other mobsters. Her black shirt was ripped in more places then it already was. There was one potential burn to the side of Holly's stomach. It was placed over three out of her six abs. That was what she healed first.

She examined the second half of her body. Her legs looked the most normal out of everything, which made them look weak compared to everything else.

"I think she broke her leg," Aang said. He leaned his back against the saddle that he missed so much. Instead of cringing at Holly's wounds, he kept his eyes on Katara. She didn't look too well. There were heavy shadows below her blue eyes. Her clothes were ripped as bad as Holly's. He saw that she had many bruises travelling along her skin, but they looked many days old. She didn't completely heal herself.

"I don't think that my water'll heal that, Aang. . ." she mumbled.

"I guess you're gonna have to move it back into place then," said Toph. Aang realized how much that he missed Toph. He hasn't heard her sarcastic tone of voice in almost a week. That was a record. When she looked at her, he saw that her hair was down, tangled and messy. He couldn't see half of her face. It was much like Holly's, only hers fell straight down from the extra weight.

"No, no, no, no. . ." Holly stirred. She put her hand over her face and ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes were shut tightly. He could sense her struggle in her squinted and cringed expression. "It hurts."

Aang met Katara's eye contact. They looked at each other. He couldn't give her an assuring shrug. They both knew that they couldn't leave her leg broken like it was. The problem was telling Holly that.

"I know," Katara began. "But I have to move it back into place. It's the only way. I can't just leave it like that."

Holly's panic was showing through her breathing. Toph could sense her uneasy vibrations. It was hard to ignore. Her heartbeat was skyrocketing through her bloodstream-

Holly felt a hand rest in her's. A rush of warmth calmed her down inside. She had just enough strength to wrap her fingers around the back of his hand. She took one last sigh of a breath. She was shaking uncontrollably.

"Okay, are you ready?" Katara asked, placing her hands over her knee. Her kneecap was popped out of its joint and knocked off to its side. It was gross witness. She felt a shiver being sent down her spine. It wasn't the prettiest sight in the world.

"Go for it!" she stumbled through her shivering lips, her eyelids clenching together even tighter.

* * *

_She was done crying. She was done with this depression bullshit. It has been almost one month since she found out that their parents have been murdered by an unknown member of the mob. It could've been anybody. Who can she fucken trust anymore? Nobody._

_But she didn't sit back and lay on her bed all day in her depression. In these days, she taught herself the move that the mobsters suspected that killed her parents. This way, she will be able to get revenge one day. Revenge on the person who took away the last bit of family from her. Her sister was already out of the picture, and has been for the past few years. She chose the side of the fire nation. Amanda Haven changed her last name to Wilson._

_This move doesn't have a name in particular. No name has been confirmed. There are nicknames that she has heard of throughout the mob. The most popular one, now, was "The move that kills." It was certainly self-explanatory._

_Holly took her overshirt off. There she stood with an undershirt that exposed everything but her chest. She flexed her biceps in the middle of her dark room, illuminated by candlelight. She breathed in its calming essence and took her stance. She practiced the move without firebending, being the perfectionist that she was. Her right foot skidded in the dust in the shape of a crescent moon._

_Her stance shifted from her right foot to her left on one strike. She unintentionally shocked herself in the process. That was not supposed to happen._

_"Firebending comes from the breath."_

* * *

Holly's teeth were gritting together with more and more pressure to hold back another screaching howl. She breathed out a large amount of puffing white smoke. It combusted into her pure white fire.

* * *

_Holly didn't have to turn around to know who it was. It was the only man that ever had the guts to set foot in her penthouse. She never liked him that much when they first met, and things have only gotten worse with their relationship. He claimed that he was her mentour since her parents have gone, but she couldn't disagree more. She wanted to do things on her own._

_"Who asked you?"_

_She turned around to face him. With her incredible eyesight, she focused on his clenching fist. He was holding back his anger. She knew that he was faking his manners._

* * *

Holly's grip on Aang's hand was getting so tight that it was hurting. It was cutting off his bloodstream, turning it different colors. Heated pains were shooting up his arm that didn't feel normal to him.

* * *

_"I am trying to teach you firebending, Holly."_

_She was listening, but pretended to ignore. She picked up her black shirt off of the dirty earth. Taking her time to walk across the room, she half-tossed, half-set down the shirt on a dusty wooden table that was shoved against the wall._

_A zip of lightning shocked through the floor, exploding the table in her face._

_"Limited muscle is required for the movement you are attempting to perform. Were you uninformed of what it does?"_

_"I'm not stupid, Mainyu."_

_He chuckled deeply. "Yes, yes. . . being the intelligent girl that you are, you must know that within every heartbeat, there is a pulse of electricity that resides? Therefore, you only need enough of your own lightning to be able to travel through the earth to reach the particular human?"_

_Holly tightened her muscles, infuriated, and stomped her foot behind her. The move backfired, face-planting her to meet the wall._

* * *

"Okay, I got it!" Katara's assurance was an enormous relief. Holly's mind was set back on track in the present time. Her grip let go if the strength behind it. Aang could feel his hand's blood flowing again with a tingling feeling. Seeing Holly's expression relax for the first time calmed them down. Sokka joined with the rest of the gaang to watch Katara's work. He was the one directly facing her. That was the first face that she saw when she opened her eyes. Sokka gasped.

* * *

**Well, what do you think? If you're interested, I drew a picture of what Holly is supposed to look like, and I photoshopped it a few times. Just if you want a clear image in your head of her since you know what everyone else looks like (accept the mobsters, which I also plan to draw).**

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**And I hope that I cleared up how Holly kills so many people at once. If you need further explination, then I'll let you know. I'm still thinking about having Holly explain it to Aang or something later in the story, if it'll fit. So that's about it for now, review!**


	16. Reminiscene

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Helloo willing reader. I'm sad to say that I probably won't be writing much of anything for the next two weeks or so (or whenever my parents find out). I'm still in High School, and as any normal freshman is, Algebra is like a foreign language to me, so I probably failed my math test. My parents specifically said that if I get anything lower then a C on my test, then I'm grounded off of my computer for a week or so. They're gonna find out eventually.**

**If I get more reviews from other people, more feedback and if people support me enough, then I'll consider to write a story dedicated to Holly's life in the mob when she was the leader. Kind of like a really long Prolouge, just to justify her actions in this story. I could probably go into more detail about her and Mainyu's bad relationship and how and why she hates him so much (which is understandable). Sound cool? If you're not sure, then this is your preview. Basically, this is the whole ride that the gaang has on Appa, and Holly recollects some of her journeys in the mafia.**

* * *

It was night time. This is the time when it was okay to roam the streets. Mobsters creeped around under the starlight, and if they were lucky, the moon would shine through the dusty clouds. When the moon was out, it was only a tad bit warmer. Without it, like this night, it was bitter cold. Much of the firebenders lucked out of its bone-chilling temperatures if they had the knowledge to control their own body heat. One of these firebenders was an eleven year old girl named Holly Haven.

Saying "an eleven year old girl" is an understatement to most who have come across her. She definately does not hold the qualities of a normal little girl. No girls her age have mastered firebending quite like her. Since she is defensive, none of the male mobsters would ever go after her if they knew her true name. Every mobster treated her equally, which was lots of pressure for this girl. Her insecurities changed her appearance over the period of a few months. She was the daughter of the creators of the mafia that she was walking throughout. Her parents were perished by an unknown member of the mafia merely a few months ago. Since her older sister is out of the picture, she is next in line for gaining the title of "leader".

Ironically, she was not interested. Being stuck living in the middle of a city like this one wasn't a favorite of her's. If she could, she would leave this city and never see or come across it again. It only burdened her with the life that she was stuck with, was her take on it. There was no one that was completely sane, around her age, or worth getting to know. Her family was the only thing that she held close. Someone took that away from her, so she only lives to find that individual. Her theory was that if she accepted her title as leader, then it would be possible to find the mobster that killed her family. She thought that power was the only thing that she was good for.

Holly Haven, wearing a crimson sweatshirt to keep her more from the cold, strolled down one of the narrow roads with her hands in her pockets. Her walk was stealthy and fit, fitting with the rest of her body. She kept her hood up. Her layered hair escaped along each sides of the hood's edge. She walked slow because of sorrow, the occasional vibe that she felt when walking through the city when she sun was down. At times, she would pass small groups of mobsters, dealing drugs, money, and women, at which she cringed if she watched. She could do nothing of it now, but by the end of the night, she will be sure to put a stop to it.

There was a particular door attatched to a certain building that she was watching out for, where the highest appointed mobsters will be waiting for her appearance. Many of them, she has never met before. In her younger years, her parents would keep her away from the stronger mobsters as much as possible. Mainyu was the only one that she has met so far, and still communicates with. Although, he was the mobster that was at the bottom of society when it came to nobleties. He was usually never taken seriously when making a suggestion. This is why his word on making him leader was made out to be a joke.

Holly had no trouble _seeing_ any of the doors at all, as a matter of fact. But she was never informed of their literal whereabouts. They figured that she would be able to find it on her own. They figured right, eventually. Holly just happened to overhear Mainyu commensing with the other mobsters behind a door that she was walking by.

". . . not right to appoint her as leader! She is a child! A minor! A-"

"Have you been blind for the past few months, Angra? You've seen what that girl can do! Shit, she's not that bad lookin', either-"

"The girl is off limits! Unless you want to be _killed_, strictly by me." The man's voice was unconditionally lower then any other voice that she has heard. She has heard stories about him being the enforcer of the mob, and also the protector. He was the most loyal mobster to the Havens, and he was a good friend of her parents.

Holly knocked on the wooden door a few times with a slight jolt of courage. As the time ticked by, she wailed her head around for a distraction from the tension. Spotting two swift figures down the road, she flew her eyes forward again.

The door swished open. The first face she her eyes witnessed was one of the biggest built mobsters that she has ever seen. His piercing was a local crafted, curved ring through his septum. The swirling marks resembled much of the style of the mafia. The metallic colored metal shined against the light coming from the room behind him. His black hair was long enough to reach his hips, parted down the middle, and completely, unnaturally straight. His facial hair was buzzed to zig-zags along his jawline, barely noticable to someone with normal vision. His eyes, purely noticable as golden, were narrowed. He tried to sound welcoming:

"Holly Haven," he pronounced. His dark lips curved into somewhat of a smile. "Come in, if you please."

With remorse, she stepped into the candlelit room. There were four other large men standing in front of her. One was almost as much built as the mobster who answered the door. His hair was the same style that her's was, only much shorter, and the color was black. He had two spikes sticking out on either side of his eyebrow vertically, his ears were gaged almost about an inch around. His pants were layered with black and dark red, his shirt was the matching color of her sweatshirt. The second had even less muscles, only enough to be slightly shown about his torn black shirt. But grotesque tattoos covered most of his body (accept only two small ones upon his face). They looked like hideous monsters, but she didn't recodnize what they originated from. The third mobster looked the oldest of them all, his hair was almost purely white. Nothing but scars and wrinkles were painted on his skin. He wore simple black robes. His eyes looked the brightest of them all, showing cleverness from his age. The fourth had a slight gaged facial piercing in the middle of his bottom lip. His build was average, but his legs were long, outshining the rest of his qualities. He did not care for two layers of clothes under the moonlight. And the fifth: Mainyu, being the tallest, second oldest, and lankiest man in the room, wearing robes closesly similar to the old man's. His expression looked like he was infuriating with jealousy. Not to mention that he was crossing his arms for dear life, she also saw gray smoke spewing from his nostrils.

"I am Baer. Members of the mafia refer to me as Bai," the man proposed behind Holly's shoulder. "And these are the nobles of Haven: Baladeva, Cain, Gwyn, Raghu, and Mainyu. We are all pleased to welcome you here tonight in your appointment."

Holly didn't know how to reply to him. Making a fool of herself, she said, "Pleased to be here." The nobles chuckled amongst themselves, accept Raghu, who could not contain himself from scanning her from head to toe. He licked his cracked lips in desire.

"Before it can be official, we have to make sure that you are aware to obide by the rules."

"What're you, my mother?" Mainyu laughed darkly to Holly's immaturities. Raghu let out all of his laughter, not noticing the death stare from Bai. The other two did, and kept their mouths shut.

"Why don't you have a seat, Ms. Haven?" The sound of wood against wood screetched together, making her ears ring. As she turned around, she saw Bai offering a wobbly, chipped stool for her to sit in. The rest of them remained standing while she obeyed. Her little hands clutched each side of the stool, gripping it more then it intended. Some of her firebending heat transferred to the unsturdy wood as the anxiousness built inside of her. She was terrified of the men acquiring the rest of the space in the secluded room. She did not want to look into any one of their eyes. Instead, she fixed them on the candles that were sitting on an old table against the wall. It was visible in between Cain and Gwyn.

"Essentially, your ancestors have left a code of laws for the members of this organization to follow. Many, of which, have been broken the past year from the absence of a new leader. Things, and people alike have spiraled out of control, I'm sure you have noticed." Bai paced back and forth, left to right, passing the nobles behind him and Holly in front of him intentionally for separation. He tried to word his speech as nicely as he could. Once he began listening to himself, he wanted to call it propaganda. She really had no idea what she was getting herself into. Holly was obviously immature enough to run the largest and most dangerous organization still standing - the only mafia that has survived the fire nation this far into the war. Their accomplishments were rapidly coming to an end.

"I see it every day," Holly replied, glancing at Bai as he passed. After she saw that he caught her stare, she felt self conscious, so she shook her straightened hair over her eyes to avoid any comments.

"But you, we believe, can put an end to our mishaps; you _are_ a Haven. I have heard great things about you being gifted with white fire, I presume? That is an absalute favorite of mine," he complimented, attempting to comfort the little girl.

"As opposed to another fire color?" she asked instinctively. She forgot to hold her tongue of comments such as that. It was a habit that she caught up on at an even younger age. She didn't hear the clunking of Bai's boots pacing anymore, and she immediately held her breath.

"Do you know how special and spiritual your firebending is?" Without recieving an answer, he continued. "Not only are you an excellent fighter, capable of beating our best men in combat at your age, but you are also gifted. Pure white fire, such as yours, is an honor that should be cherished. It has never been seen since the beginning of time, and the next one that acquires it happens to be a _Haven_? It would be nothing but foolish then to not grant you as leader!"

Holly jumped, bowing her head to the floor, avoiding anyone's eye contact. She didn't want contact in any shape or form. She wanted to leave.

"You are our last hope in saving this organization - in saving _your_ organization. . . You are practically the last descendent left." His imply on her long lost sister made her hear sink lower. Since she was brainwashed to think that the fire nation had all of the blame for evil, she was forced to think that Amanda was long gone.

"Why don't one of you take the job?" she asked desperately. She only felt safe enough to look at Bai. The question was more pertained to him then the rest of the nobles.

"The mobsters do not respect anyone unrelated to the Havens." Bai watched Holly twiddle with her thumbs that were layed on her lap. He felt the next rush of guilt for making her leader. He hoped that his plan would work: she would be the true leader, and so mobsters would recodnize that the mob boss was a Haven, but he would do all of the work. These consequences were barely legal enough for a man like him to handle.

"Okay," a small voice answered.

* * *

"Holly!"

Her striking eyes pierced through her's. They shined through her hair like the sun. Yet, they were narrowed. Her head was facing a long parchment on her desk, holding a paint brush in her right hand. She looked annoyed to be interrupted by someone like her.

"Uh - I'm sorry. . ." she took in a few breaths to calm herself down. She bluntly stated, "but my boyfriend's been mugged."

"You didn't call for the authorities?"

Her breathing suddenly became heavier, reminding her how long it took to run for the leader's aid. Feeling exhausted and physically hurting, she panicked. "Well, no, but I thought that. . ." she caught her breath again, "since I was already around this side of town, that I would just. . ."

The wooden chair screetched against the planks on the floor. Holly stood up, her cloak falling off of her broad shoulders. This was the third time this week that she had to do this. Things haven't gotten much better in the mob over the course of twelve months.

"Don't you think the bastard's escaped by now?" Holly blurted while stomping throughout the room, using her fit legs to the best of it.

"It's not that. Chris 's injured." The tall young woman moved her lengthy blonde hair behind her shoulder, readying for her response. Her reply did not come in words, but with her actions. She darted out of the doorway, rudely pushing her out of the way in the process. She could admit that she didn't like the fact that Holly Haven had such a strong relationship with her own boyfriend, but with her power, she couldn't do much about it. These were the only times that having her on his side was a good thing. But, unfortunately, Holly wasn't too fond of her.

After collecting and pulling herself together, she regained her balance, and quickly followed her out into the streets. Her shoulders brushed against a series of walls and other doorways while jogging through the narrow hallway that led to Holly's headquarters.

Holly ran down the road as fast as her weight could carry her. Being lightweight, it was extremely fast for a girl that was barely five feet tall. It didn't occur to her that she didn't know where Chris actually was. She was running, thinking upon addrenaline. She knew now that she couldn't underestimate the mobsters under her power. The loyal ones might be willing to cooperate, but the dealers are proud to retaliate. They made up a good portion of the population. Their numbers were gravely growing by the day.

When she was caught by the attention of a human-figure down the road, she sprinted. She focused in on the figure with her surreal eyes. It was Chris. He was layed out, spread eagled, in the middle of the street. She could feel the weakness in his heartbeat with her firebending. He was shaking uncontrollably, his clothes were torn, and there were bruises and degrees of burns covering his skin. By this point, Holly was running so fast that she could feel her flesh being pulled from the gravitational force against the air. She reached to his aid in a matter of seconds. His girlfriend was still trying to catchup far greatly behind her, despite having much leaner legs then her.

Holly dropped to her knees by his side. Her tough and masculine qualities dissappeared inside, giving her a soft look to her tan face. Her eyes loosened the irritated expression. She looked twelve again.

"Chris. . ." She gently stroked her hand along his face. He tried to shrug it off with his limited strength that he had left. He cringed, followed by a shiver, and shook his head even more, avoiding Holly's beautiful eyes.

"Don't worry about me, Holly-"

"HOLLY!" his girlfriend screached, who was still catching up far behind them. Holly didn't need the warning. She had the best eyesight in the world, it was her supernatural sense. She saw the dozens of drug dealers emerging from the alleyways. They didn't look much else different then the rest of the mobsters, except for the fact that they were almost always wasted and unhealthy. They looked like zombies. Their eyes had a sunken and shadowed look to them. Some of their cheeks sunk between their jaw and actual cheek bones. A few had wrinkles when they were barely halfway through their lifetime. Despite their lack of nourishment ways, they were still mobsters. They were mobsters whom she did not underestimate.

She stood up slowly. She flickered her sight back and forth to all of the mobsters throughout. Holly took her stance. "You think you can fucken get away with this!? Right in front of your _leader?_" Her attempt at intimidating them was a failure. It was what she had figured. So, she waited. Her muscles twitched in her backfired fear as the tension built. She knew that it was arrogant to start it off. Thats an automatic lose.

Holly heard Chris sniff. She distracted herself, coming to see that water was running down the sides of his face and into his dark hair-

One of the dealers shocked her with lightning that travelled through the ground. Ironically, lightning was one of her weakest points in firebending. Blocking his attempt at the last possible moment, she was flown off of her feet and smacked her left side against a building. She groaped her shoulder in searing pain. She was standing between two crowds of them, having alleys on either side of her. She shifted her feet to spread apart towards each of them. It was the first time that the move was successful for her. Both ends of the crowd dropped dead.

She had no time to celebrate. A dealer whose face was covered with a large black hood punched a great amount of firebending that glided towards her. Holly shifted her stance and separated it in half with her chopped hands. In that same movement, she skid forward another step and shot a disc of dangerous white fire at him. She was in her horse stance, her right hand locked by her hip, and her left forearm directed it towards him with her palm facing the sky. The disc was sharp like a blade of burning swords.

The dealer desperately defended himself with his mediocre blaze. It sent him flying as well, only much more violently. He arose ten feet in the air and hit the building across the street with an enormous boom, cracking the splintered wood around his outline. The front part of his sleeves were burned to crisp.

The remaining dealers were gaining up on Chris who was helplessly in the middle of it all. She wanted to kill them all again with her newly acquired move, but she didn't want to take the chance of killing him too. Holly, instead, widened her stance. Her hands came to meet each other in the center of her stomach. Her palms gracely gathered and gathered amounts of white fire. She took Mainyu's advice that he gave her almost a year ago and used her breath to conjure it. She felt her own body heat increase immensely.

Holly exhaled. She dropped her head and raised her hands above all else. She guided the fire the form a circle and burn them all. Not only was looking at it excrutiating, but the smell was horrible. The screams and howls of agonizing torture filled the ears of the oblivious twelve year old. She was unaware of her cruel form of destruction coming from herself. Holly became immensely confused and scared. Her fire was much too bright to show anyones personal faces in one of the most horrible ways to die slowly. The sounds were the horrifying reasons that haunted her, scarred her permanently.

Then, suddenly, disaster broke. The lights turned off in her head.

* * *

Heather watched in horror. She thought that watching dozens of people burn was just enough for her for the rest of her life, but it wasn't. Holly must have forgot that there were still dealers behind her. Either that, or she could not sense them since they were out of her view. They got her directly at her weakest point. They lit off one of their best, and first inventions of a bomb. It landed right between Holly's feet. The explosion was incredible, as well as the impacting sound of it. More and more smoke killed the air, growing and growing, it was taking up the whole section of the road, soon billowing above the narrow streets. Through the smoke, she could see flashes of fire and crackles of the wood surrounding it.

One of the nobles, Bai, swooshed past her. He darted towards the explosion, and she thought that he was crazy. The other three: Cai, Gwyn and Roghu followed. Mainyu was absent.

Mainyu appeared through Holly's doorway, the last man that she wanted to see. His expression was lacking appresiacion. It was all the same that it was before the tragedy. He looked angry. He knew that Holly wouldn't be able to hold him out anymore. Holly _knew_ that he was furious that she survived.

"I have news," he stated.

Holly gave him a deathly stare. Her facial features were basically the only things that she could move properly, being wrapped up in so many badages and casts in her bed. Her legs were covered so greatly that they were almost suffocating from the lack of air. Her breathing was, as she was told, permantently damaged from what her lungs have suffered from the explosion. Being so tightly packed did not help.

"All of the rest of the nobles are. . . no longer."

Holly closed her swollen eyelids.

"It seems, I am afriad, that with the mafia having no stable leader except I, then it will be me taking over." She turned under her bedsheets. Her badly cut hand lifted to cover her grieving face. Being just barely thirteen, she did not think under her conditions. Holly did not have the strength to hold back her sob.

"I have a plan to save this mafia from losing all control. I have a plan that I have wanted to fulfill for years. . . a plan that will allow us to overpower the fire nation once and for all." Mainyu clenched his fist and held it high and proud. Holly was moderately interested. He had just enough of her attention. "Tell me, Holly: What is the one thing that has the fire nation most ever alive at this point in war?" He impatiently awaited for her response. The only action she did was remove her hand from her face. He caught the attention of her eyes. They were darkened all around and still very large from the swelling. Her right eye could not open completely. Her scorched hair covered her other.

"Let me see if I can put this in a simpler form - what is the fire nation after, at the moment?" He paused, quickly continuing. "If we can find. . . _the avatar_, then the nation will have no motivation to move forward. If we were to leave this alone, then the avatar will come to power if he can defeat the fire lord. He is the main thing standing in my way of true power." Holly thought that Mainyu wasn't making any sense. Mentioning the avatar was random. He was barely mentioned under any roof in the mafia. She has only heard of such a human in only a couple of circumstances. Mainyu began pacing in her room. "If we can infiltrate the fire nation, then we can gather information on his whereabouts and take the avatar for m-ourselves. In doing so, I will need assistance."

Holly stared in oblivious confusement.

* * *

She crutched and limped her way down the road with the help of an accustom cane. She counted the number of alleys and doors as she passed, looking for both in particular. Finally, she reached her destination. Even thought she knew that she didn't have to, she knocked on his door. She wasn't one to barge in on anybody.

She came face to face with Chris. A fully recovered Chris who was extremely lucky that day. It happened about a half of a year ago, and Holly still had side effects. He put his muscular arms around Holly's new delicate figure as gently as he could. She responded by resting her head against his chest and closed her eyes in content. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling deep in her heart.

* * *

"Do you really think it's going to work? Tricking a guy like Mainyu like that?" he asked, continuously comforting her by cuddling. He was being extra careful not to cause her anymore pain. He layed on his sofa in his penthouse, allowing Holly to lay on top of him.

"I don't even know if the avatar exists," she admitted. "But if I do find him, then I'm sure as hell not gonna capture him for this god damn place. I don't care what that son of a bitch orders me to do."

"And yet, you're going with him to The Boiling Rock?"

". . . would you rather me stay here?"

Chris replied by hugging her tighter in his arms. "I don't want you to go, babe."

Holly buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. "It's not going to be forever, I promise."

* * *

_One Year Later_

The air was still. The area was quiet. She could barely hear the sounds of shuffling feet through the sand. Some of them were sounds of clattering pots and pans, though muffled, and some were sticks and textitles being passed on from person to person. Appa wasn't flying anymore. She heard the commencing between Katara and Aang, but with her selective hearing, she could not determine their words. She turned her head to the side, first seeing only the edge of a near empty saddle, but then he appeared in front of her. He gracefully landed with the help of his airbending. They looked at each other for a moment, exchanging looks and gestures. Until finally, he decided to scoop her up in his arms and place her in the camp.

* * *

**I explained a whole lot of stuff about her life in this chapter. If you didn't get it, then stay tuned to read how Holly explains it in her words to Aang later while in camp together. This is a really big step out of what this is based out of, but this is really what I would like to make a story out of one day.**

**From the explosion, Holly's legs and hearing are permanently damanged. I tried to sort of foreshadow that in my earlier chapters.**

**Review! :)**


	17. Fire and Ice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I apologize for the lack of break lines (or whatever they're called) in my previous chapter. Idk why it didn't work, and it kinda pisses me off. Without them, it's pretty hard to decide which scene is which. Sorry 'bout that! Hopefully it won't happen again in this chapter.**

**And I found out awhile ago that this website gets really ridiculous at times and doesn't let me put links on here unless its on my profile. Pretty dumb, right? Well, I did manage to get a deviant account and link it on my profile. I have two pictures of Holly Haven on their who were drawn by me, myself and I :) check 'em out!**

**So now that the gaang will finally be settling in, this chapter will mainly be about them coping with Holly being added to it, which is what I've been requested to do anyway. Katara didn't like Holly the first day that she met her, and she still isn't going to like her now.**

OOOoooooOOOOooOOOOooOO

The dryly contaminated fumes from the desert filled Holly's nose. It was so alarmingly cold, that she felt the insides of her nostrils and nasal cavaties stung uncomfortably. The rest of her body was bundled up as tight as a catterpillar's caccoon. She must have been taken care of when she passed out. They obviously weren't aware that she didn't require any blankets, even if she was asleep. She mastered control of her own body heat a long time ago. Still, she appreciated the effort greatly upon Katara, who was willing to heal her after so much chaos erupted. She assumed from the amount of sunlight pearing through her closed eyelids that it was indeed, the next day. It was early in the morning, she gussed again as to what the temperature currently was. It was freezing, and that much could be said.

She opened her brilliant eyes and the first thing that she saw was the cloudless, dull sky. There wasn't a hint of moisture to be seen, no sign of life existing in the airs. Holly fidgeted around, fighting with her sleeping bags to unravel herself. She was interrupted by a searing pain in her once-broken leg. She forgot all about it. The rest of her body didn't seem to be fit to move anymore then her legs. Holly held in her yelp and replaced it with a sudden gasp. Her impulsive response was to simply dispose of the trapping blankets by burning them to crisp. But she remembered that she wasn't in the mob anymore. She was, as she came to think of it, some sort of guest to their newly put together group.

"Do you need some help?"

Holly clicked her eyes upon Aang, very startled of his appearance. Sometimes, she forgot that her hearing was impaired. She didn't even hear him walk over to her.

He was back into his normal clothes again, and she was happy to see it. She felt terrible for marking him with an outfit specifically made from the mafia. His free spirit was much too great for thugs like them. However. . . the makeup that covered his tattoos left a smothered black stain.

"If you would ask a few moments ago, then I wouldn't mind, but I just realized that I can't move without hurting." Holly felt proud of herself for holding her tongue against her slang language that developed over so long.

"You might wanna keep your voice down," Aang warned, dropping his own. "Everyone else is still sleeping." Her praise of herself vanished. She looked around her for the first time. To her left, she saw Katara and Sokka sleeping back to back (from the cold, she presumed) in their sleeping bags that she assumed to be from the water tribe. She witnessed them both shivering the slightest bit in their exhausting sleep. Katara's eyes opened almost halfway and twitched back closed. Holly caught her. She didn't know of Holly's supernatural sight yet.

"Isn't there an earthbender?" Holly asked curiously, remembering the small blind girl that she talked with.

"Yeah, she's over there." Aang pointed directly behind her, and as she tilted her head back to check upside down, she saw two slabs of earth pointed together. She knew that nature didn't make that happen. Underneath the two pieces of rock was a sleeping Toph, whose hands were placed on the ground as a way of support for her head, she layed on her stomach. Holly could confirm that she was, indeed, sleeping.

"Oh. . . well, what are you doing up?" she asked, finally getting to the point of their conversation. With her arms being the strongest physically, she used them to prop herself up. It was the only way that she could halfy address him properly. She found it awkward to still be laying in a sleeping bag while talking to him. Only one other person usually saw Holly sleep in such a fashion. It was something that she was going to have to get used to if she wanted to be Aang's firebending teacher.

"I've been up all night," he said. "I can't sleep." Aang dropped. He sat cross-legged beside where Holly lay. With Holly's hair still unnaturally straightened by her firebending, she flipped her head to the side to let it leave her face. The strands of hair still stuck along her cheekbone.

"We had a long day, yesterday," she stated.

"It's not only that, but it's freezing here!" he hissed, crossing his arms and rubbing each of them in a shivering manor. "We couldn't find a better spot for camp because this desert is so big, and the wind up in the sky made it ten degrees colder!"

Holly's expression sunk. "Oh. . . I'm sorry."

Aang lowered his eyebrows in confusement. "Why are _you_ apologizing?"

Her eyes left the contact of his. They gradually fell to stare into the sandy earth. She felt like she was lost for words if she were to lie, even if that was she did remarkably well, but she knew that he deserved the whole truth. "It's my fault that you guys are in this situation in the first place." It was the first time that she admitted that to herself before. She didn't think of it until now, but she knew that it was true.

"Hey, can you guys go back to sleep?" a voice asked in the distance. Holly looked up and saw Katara staring right at her. Her movements gave her the vibe that she was giving an excuse to separate them. Her question was more like an order to her, which didn't please her one bit.

"It's morning. Maybe this is the time that I wake up," she said back, raising her voice to a louder octave.

"You don't have to be rude by waking everyone else up in the process."

It was the little things that got to her. It were the things where others would think that it would be no big deal, to some it would be easy to brush a comment like her's off. But that wasn't Holly. Her mobster ways of instinct told her to go after her. She wasn't used to being treated like everyone else that was around her. She normally used to be treated like loyalty under her roofs. Her reflex was to get up and attack for what she had said, but her aching bones wouldn't let her move an inch. She grasped every wound that she could that was refusing her commands.

"By the way," Katara added, "you're not supposed to move for at least a few days. Especially with that broken leg that I had to shift back into place." The way that she said her statement made it sound like she didn't care for healing her at all. This was her breaking point. Ignoring her incredibly hurtful pain, she kicked the blankets off of her in one move and scrambled to her feet-

Aang took hold of her arms behind her and held her back. He could not _beleive_ how muscular they were. He couldn't put his fingers completely around them. With all of this true, her skin was still as smooth as any girls'. There were a few scratches that he passed over, but he assumed them to be from her battle. He has never been this close to her, unless they were flying. But flying was different.

Of course, Holly wanted to resent Aang's pull back. It was Katara's expression that calmed her down. She looked just as shocked as she was terrified. What was she _doing?_ Was she really going to punish her because she wanted to get some _sleep?_ What is wrong with her?

". . . I - I'm sorry," she apologized. She lifted one of the palms of her hands to show peace for a split moment, but quickly put it down awkwardly. Sokka had awaken by this time, giving her a death stare, still just as in awe as Katara and Aang. Holly felt embarrassed, out of place, like she didn't belong here.

With much of a delay, Aang let go of his grip on Holly. She wandered her eyes around to avoid Katara and Sokka's gaze. To her right, she saw that the sun was already starting to rise. Her power source was emerging. That was going to make her all the more dangerous. Then, she looked to her left. Toph was looking into the general direction. She was shocked, too. Holly suddenly looked back ahead of her. She didn't want to feel any more guilty then she already did. This was when the pain caught up with her.

OOOOooooOOOOOoooooOOOOooooOOOOOO

The mobster walked as fast as he could without looking suspicious. He was being timed from left to right on where he was supposed to be. Normally, the dealers at least had a small bit of sympathy to be leniant on, but things have been harder then ever. Yesterday was one of the biggest tragedies the mafia has seen since the Havens have passed. Their leader, Mainyu, almost left them the night previous. He was pronounced dead at first. Their former leader made an insanely great mark of electricity that pierced through his heart. If it wasn't for Mainyu's ever so loyal dealers on his side, he was saved. He was informed this morning of his miracle. On the inside, he was quite dissappointed. Their former leader - his ex-girlfriend, and the girl whom he loved - taught him how to be a good liar.

As a matter of fact, he hated Mainyu and his crew more then anyone else. His hate was equal to Holly's - mostly because of her. Mainyu was the reason why she had to suffer the explosion a couple of years ago. He will never forgive him for that. Nor for any of the other damages he had caused. This mafia used to be a safe haven for exiles of the fire nation. That was all that it was used for, in order for people like him to survive. But now that he is in charge, everything is corrupted.

He didn't bother to knock once he found the correct door. They were aware of his arrival. He expected to see a rather large group of dealers occupying the room. He expected them to be in a gathering of some sort. He expected there to be heavy drugs. What he didn't expect, was Mainyu to be there.

"Ah, Chris: I have been expecting you." Mainyu's voice was equally dark and powerful as before, only there was a hint of weakness and fatigue. It was much raspier. The intimidation still remained, though he was not nearly as scared as the other dealers in the room. He was standing on his two feet with great difficulty. His posture was very poor. He needed the wall for support. He looked terrible and he couldn't help but wonder who had caused it. . . but it finally hit him. It was Holly who shook him up. She managed to give him scratches filled with sand and dust all of his face. His long mane of hair has always been messy, but now it was a great heap of mats that traveled behind his back. There was a large gash on the left side of his unshaven neck that was not entirely visible, as some of it hid behind his dark robes. As he smiled, he flinched at the noticment of a missing tooth in the front of his mouth.

Someone shoved Chris in the shoulder. He stumbled as it interrupted his balance. "Wh't the fuck 'you starin' at?" one of the dealers asked.

"Peace, Vonlé," he ordered. The buzz between the few dealers dissapated. When silence arose, he spoke again. "I require a task from you, Christopher," Mainyu raised his eyebrows. "I would like you to advise the rest of my mobsters of my existance. Let them be clear on where we stand. Nothing is going to change around here, and we will continue our search for the avatar and your little _girlfriend_."

He couldn't help but show his rage.

OOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOO

Since the sun was already up when the drama kicked in, they all decided that it was time for all of them to begin their day on an early start. Everyone was grumpy. Holly felt more awkward then ever. She still hasn't been given any sort of warm welcome from the group of benders. Sokka, at times, would try to lighten the mood by starting a conversation with Holly, but she would politely cut it short. No one else bothered with her. Her and Katara would exchange glances everytime they passed each other. It irritated her more and more every time it occured. She hated people that stared at her. She has been holding her tongue for this long for the time being.

The first time that they got together was when they began to set up some sort of fire pit. Toph and Aang created larger rocks to surround the sand. When they announced their plan, Holly held in a loud laugh by smirking and shaking her head in dissappointment.

"What's so funny?" Katara asked her. She placed her hands on her hips in a motherly way. She was in the middle of giving Toph and Aang further instructions on how to make the fire pit work. She must have been planning on staying another night in the desert if they wanted to keep warm. During the day, this place was as much hot as it was cold in the night.

"We're in the middle of a desert. Where the hell're you gonna find anything to burn?" she asked. Holly was sitting around the area of where she slept. She looked like she was in a meditive position, but once Katara saw her face expression, she concluded to herself that she wasn't meditating material, even though she really was. Holly was much wiser then she presumed to be with others.

"Oh, so do you have a better plan on how we're going to cook our food?" That was something that she never thought about. She couldn't believe that she was willing to waste their food so quickly. From her always being in unnurtured places, she never had enough food in the day. But by this point, she was used to it.

"You wanna eat _right now?_" she asked, pointing her index finger to the ground beside her leg. "It's barely mid-day! If we wanna eat like that, then we won't have any food left in a couple o' days! Unless you think you're gonna find some kind of - _oasis_," she put her hands in the air and fluttered them around like she was referring to magic, "somewhere around here."

"She's got quite a point, Sugar Queen," Toph agreed. She wasn't too far away from where Holly was sitting. She layed on her back lazily, doing what she does best in her spare time along with squaring her shoulders.

"How long do you think we're going to be out here? And besides, it's not like you're going to be with us until the comet comes!" Katara threw her arms up in the air in discust. Ironically, that was exactly what Holly was planning to do. Since this was their first day being together after the chaos from the mob, she decided that she wasn't going to bring up her intentions for a while until they were settled in. Now, she doesn't have a choice but to express all thoughts.

"Yeah, about that. . ." Holly dropped her level of aggressiveness. She scratched the top of her head with a nervous smile. Her messy hair moved with her fingers from her snarls.

"No way!" Toph threw herself up into a sitting position with a huge smile on her face. Aang and Sokka jumped from her random burst of excitement, while Katara and Holly casually looked to her direction. "You're gonna teach Aang firebending!"

Aang, who was peacefully resting in the saddle of his flying bison, suddenly burst his eyes wide open in surprise. He remembered Holly mentioning it to him before, but he didn't know that she was going to bring it up so quickly. Katara looked at Holly with narrowed eyes, crossing her arms tightly against her chest.

"What?" Holly shot with a dark tone, now getting irritated with her stubbornness. "Y'don't trust me?" With that, she laughed. "The one that just saved you?"

"You didn't save us, Holly. We saved you."

"And I thank you for that. I really do. But if you haven't forgotten: I _did_ save your little boyfriend over there-"

"He's NOT my boyfriend!"

"Don't give me that shit, you were furious when you saw me talkin' to Aang this morning!" She didn't care that she was about to bring up her perfect sense of sight. She usually didn't like to talk about it much because the thought that it was completely abnormal to be able to see anything from so many miles away. And upon talking about her sight, her bad hearing almost always follows.

"How would you know that?"

Holly whisped her fingers around her golden eyes in a laid-back sort of way. "My sight's a tad bit better then everyone else's. It was just something that I was born with, you wouldn't understand."

"I knew there was something cool about your eyes!" Sokka concluded, as if he just solved a mystery to a crime. He didn't feel the same grudge towards Holly at all since the last time that he saw her. He knew that she was good now, she saved Aang from the mob, and he believed Aang when he told him that she intended to save the rest of them. Katara looked at her brother with the same sort of look, only it looked more like she was telling him to shut up.

Katara looked back at her and said, "You're not allowed to teach Aang firebending."

Aang, himself, felt very offended by Katara's say. His own eyes narrowed at her, even though she was facing the other way. Before he could speak up for himself, Holly cut him off.

"Wow. . . Never in my entire life have I seen someone like you make decisions for another; I have never seen _anyone_ as selfish as you. You don't think Aang has any say in the matter of who his teacher'll be? You think he's just some kind of puppet for the media and he's got people to live his life for him? No, that's ridiculous. Now, at least show a little bit of respect for the guy you like and let him speak for himself!"

Katara, Sokka and Toph all looked over at Aang in Appa's saddle. He felt pressured to make such a decision so soon. When Aang looked at Holly over everyone's shoulders, he could tell that she didn't want him to say yes just because of her. The rest of his friends seemed to be too pushy about the matter. The thing was: he was still trying to recover from the big adventure that just ended yesterday. He wanted to relax and not worry about anything for now. And so that was what he chose to say.

"I don't know. . . I don't wanna think about it right now. I think we should all take a break before we can make the decision. Let's just rest for a few days."

Katara was angry upon the answer that he gave, but the other two couldn't agree more with him. Holly didn't care one way or another because it was what he wanted that really counted. Even though she preferred that she teaches him, because where else is he going to find another firebender who's willing to teach him? From the looks of it, she thinks that she's only firebender originally from the fire nation that looked decent and worthy enough to train him because the only other firebender that looked decent enough has probably either been brutally sucked into the mob or killed along with the rest of his crew. It was a shame, she thought. . . she knew that there was good inside of him.

"Do you really think it's wise to linger around here for that long?" Holly asked after a short pause. "The mob still isn't that far away. They have their ways of transportation," she advised.

"Can they fly, too?" Aang asked.

Holly thought it to be random to her to be asked a question like that. "Oh. . . I dunno, it's possible. I mean, I kind made up that move myself."

"You can fly?" asked Sokka curiously, jumping into their conversation.

"How do you think we got there so fast?" Holly asked him, like it would be stupid to not notice the timeline of events. Sokka felt slightly appauld by Holly's quickness in a conversation. Yet, he was still amazed by the power she held. He still didn't forget that she took down an entire fire nation air ship on her own.

"_Fast?_" Katara repeated. "It took you _days_ to even get there, and you still didn't manage to find us!"

Holly stared into Katara's blue eyes, dumbfounded of her obliviousness. "It's not no walk in the park, believe it or not."

"It's a desert, it's not like anything was really going to stop you!" Holly couldn't believe the assumptions that Katara was making. Was this really one of the people that she was going to save? She was part of the reason that she has put her life on the line more then once to save the rest of them. Her real goal was to merely save the avatar so the world could have hope of an end to the terrible war, but she was kind enough to go after the rest of them, as well. She didn't know how much she really did to find them all.

She hoped that Aang was going to defend her on Katara's comment. He was obviously there when the fire nation chased them out of the desert after their struggle through the night. But he didn't have time to say anything.

"Guys," Toph called. Her hand was dug deep into the desert sand. "I think someone's coming, but I'm not really sure. This sand makes all of the vibrations go fuzzy."

Usually, it was one of them who would ask if they should leave or not, but this time, Holly spoke up. "In what direction?"

"I don't know. . . I think it's somewhere around there." Toph pointed ahead of her, which was to the left of Aang, to the right of Katara and Holly, and directly behind Sokka. It immediately clicked into Holly's head that that was the direction of where the city was. Mobsters must have been sent after them. But just to make sure, she used her eyesight to check: There were two mobsters, whom she recodnized immediately to be Shehr and Bvilo (two of the loyal, middle-class mobsters). She could kill both of them in an instant, but she was going to choose not to for the reason being that she needed information.

"Stay here," Holly told them. Katara was in disbelief of her actions, her jaw dropped. She certainly did not think of her as the leader of the group. That would be, of course, the avatar's job. But Holly limped out of the campsite before anyone else could resent. Aang saw that her balance on her feet was even worse then it was before. He may not be a doctar, but he was pretty sure that she wasn't supposed to be walking the day after her kneecap was shoved back into place.

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The two mobsters appeared to be unarmed (much of a way to be unprepared to their part). Because of this, she wasn't nearly as worried. Now, they had nothing to ware her out with. The middle-class mobsters were not nearly as powerful as the higher appointed ones. She was greatly thankful that she was not forced to deal with a group of dealers, who were one of the greatest fighters of the mob. She liked it better when they were second best, and the nobles held most power for battles.

"What's the latest, gentlemen?" Holly asked, trying not to make her look like she's injured. She stopped limping on one leg as she got close enough to them as to be in her hearing range. She could see the small spec of Haven city from where she was standing. Appa didn't make it as far as she had hoped.

Shehr must have warned Bvilo not to speak unless spoken to while in her presence. He was never one to watch what he was saying, therefore, he was labeled to be the worst manipulator and liar in the whole mafia. He always tried to act like he knew what he was doing, but the truth was, he didn't belong in anything in this world.

"Mainyu's alive. The dealers fixed 'em up once you left."

Holly suddenly became furious. "How is that possible? Mainyu and I only know how to fucken do that!"

"He's been teachin' the dealers under your nose ever since you both left for The Boiling Rock," he said truthfully. The whole time that he was talking, Holly read his face as a good attempt to read if he was lying or not. It might not be as unique as Toph's technique, but it was much more accurate.

Holly smirked angrily, looked back and forth around the desert, and began pacing in front of them. "So - what? The bastard sent _you two_ to get rid of me?" She was anything but impressed.

"We were taught-" Bvilo began, but he was quickly shut up as Shehr nudged him in the gut that knocked the wind out of his lungs. Bvilo was one of those mobsters who was completely made of skin and bones. The other could not even compare to him. He was almost as strong as Baledeva, who used to be one of the nobles of Haven city.

"You were taught - what? How to kill somebody?" she guessed. She lowered her head into some sort of questionable expression. Many amounts of her hair fell over her forehead and along the side of her face. Bvilo just noticed that Holly was almost a foot shorter then both of them. Still, she was just as intimidating as Mainyu, their current leader. "You really got the guts to do that?"

"Damn straight, we do!" Shehr yelled. He felt his own knees buckle under his layers of black and red robes.

"Yeah, yeah. . . you can be honest with me, really! I know how much of cowards you two really are. You can beat the shit out of two innocent girls that surely aren't nearly as strong as you, but you are much too afraid to face me? If you haven't forgotten, I have a very strong hate to anyone that chooses to use women for fucken _pleasure!_ Pick on someone your own damn size!" Holly figured out while talking that Shehr and Bvilo abused Katara while she was captured, and that was why she was acting so differently towards her. She couldn't believe that she couldn't see the signs. She could literally feel her heart burning of lust for the mobsters standing before her.

She took in a breath, and let it out. She breathed in, and then out, until she inhaled and exhaled combusting white smoke. Her skin was burning red from her fury. The mobster's expressions were blank. Neither dared to laugh at her outburst. They knew that it was the end for them. Holly knew that Shehr was fully responsible for Katara's beating, so she killed Bvilo on the spot with her shifting of her one good leg. The electricity travelling through the sand forced the sand up in the air from the unstabability. She didn't want to kill Shehr on the spot. She wanted to give him a taste of his own medicene.

Shehr desperately shot a whisp of fire from his foot to knock her off balance when she charged at him. But Holly's entire body was hotter then normal fire and it didn't effect her. Since Shehr was in his horse stance, his arms were well out of harm's way. Holly pulled back and thrusted her fist to his left eye. She used so much force that his bones cracked that surrounded his eye and he was thrown off balance. Holly shifted her weight back towards him and purposely put her foot behind him so he would fall to the desert ground. His hands painfully clutched the left side of his face as blood spewed from the corners. He was also burned from her punch.

Holly casually walked to the side of his struggling body. He kicked and squirmed in the sand, throwing it up in the air to form a dust cloud. When it reached Holly, it pummelled to the ground as ash.

A tear managed to escape from Holly's golden eye. It ran down her cheek quickly before it evaporated. Her face screwed up in terror as she remembered flashbacks of her own experiences in the mob in her younger years. She knows what it is like to be treated so.

She knelt down next to Shehr. He still could not get over the excuciating pain that was marked on his face. He could barely begin to breathe without suffering even more. His head turned from left to right, his torso wriggled in the sand, and his knees buckled on the spot. Holly gently placed her hand over his chest, directly above his heart. She could feel it racing in torture. She collected herself before continuing, letting her final sob leave her.

Then, it was like she turned the off button over his heart. Her right shoulder rose from the pressure she put over his chest. Her palm was squarely on it just the same, but she pushed against it as hard as she could. Her electricity passed through his heart, putting a stop to it. His torture ended. All of his limbs slid off of his head and face with a thud to the ground. His one eye was out cold. The other was burnt out of socket.

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"She's coming back," Toph announced. It hasn't been too long since she had left, about ten minutes, Aang presumed. He was the one who wondered the most on her whereabouts. There must have been something down there, or she would be back by now. Aang, Sokka and Katara looked in the general direction from where she left. There, was Holly's shadow approaching.

She looked like she was a mirage at first, but when she limped closer, they saw a stricken look upon her face. She had managed to clean up her devistation before coming to meet them again. She didn't want to have them worry or find out what happened out there, accept for Katara, if need be.

When she finally stepped into camp, Sokka was the one to speak first. "What was out there?" Judging by her looks, there had to be something.

Holly ignored his question, and addressed to Katara. "You wanna take a walk with me?"

The gaang was startled by her request. They knew for sure now, that something changed her back there. They curiously wanted to be with her when she told her story. Katara looked at the rest of them, who all shrugged. They honestly didn't see why not. At least, she can find out why Holly has been acting so strangely this day.

When she stopped, Holly noticed that she cooled down to a normal temperature. It was then when she noticed that all of her piercings were stinging. She raised her small shaking hand to her face. The metal melted inside of her and was not permanently stuck to her skin. She didn't want to think about it for now. Just as her fingertips touched the side of her eyebrow, she dropped her arm back to her side.

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"So, what did you want to see me for?" Katara asked. They were finally out of hearing's reach from camp. Holly remembered to take another direction into the desert to avoid running into Shehr and Bvilo's dead corpses. They reached a series of sand dunes that were coming up ahead. They were much too large for Holly to climb with her weakened legs. Instead, she lead them to go around them.

"I want to apologize the way I have been acting, today. I didn't have the right to go up and scare you this morning. I should have seen the signs, then, I should've known. . ."

Holly hit a soft spot inside of her. She couldn't believe that she figured it out. She didn't tell anybody what happened when she was temporarily separated from Toph and Sokka after she spoke out of turn. She felt like a golf ball got stuck in her throat, and was unable to swallow. Katara stopped walking.

"You don't need to be scared o' me, Katara. I know what you're feeling. I was. . . I was raped when I was little." Tears and tears flowed down Holly's face. It looked bizarre to see someone like her crying. She always looked so tough and strong. "It was right after my sister left us, her boyfriend got mad at my family, and-" Holly couldn't continue on that subject. She turned her head to the ground and let her hair coverup her miserable face. Katara couldn't believe it, she sobbed along with her, knowing what it was like to be taken advantage of. "I almost died in an explosion a couple of years ago, and I'm never gonna recover fully, I'm never gonna be the same as I was."

"I'm sorry," Katara squeeked, putting her hand to her face to her mouth to try and hold back her cry.

"I'm just telling you, Katara, that you can trust me, and I got your back if you need anybody to talk to-"

"Were those people coming after us?"

Holly stared into Katara's face. She couldn't even say the word mobster anymore, but she couldn't blame her. The mobsters were scary people. She must of been terrifying to her today. Katara closed her eyes in discust as her memories took hold of her. Holly, by all means, did not want to lie to her. That wasn't what she deserves. Holly took a few breaths to calm herself down before she answered her.

"I took care of 'em."

"Are you sure?" Katara cried.

"Trust me, I'm sure," she assured. ". . . but that certainly wasn't the end of it."

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**Any questions? Comments? Review!**


	18. Arrogance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**This chapter, hopefully, will be the chapter that will finally make the summary come into place. I have the whole rest of the story planned out in my head: My plan is to keep this going until Sozin's comet comes (with many adventures on the way). And instead of having the Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula, it'll very likely be between Holly and Mainyu. It'll be the final epic battle between the two greatest firebenders to live. Pretty sweet eh? My intentions in this chapter is to start the beginning of a new turning point for everyone. I hope you enjoy it :)**

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Both Katara and Holly came back in one piece that day. They pretended like they have never left. Holly never discussed what she did when she left camp even before she brought along Katara for a walk. Sokka, Toph, and especially Aang felt like they were not important enough to know everyone's doings in the gaang, which Aang in particular did not understand at all. Aang felt like he was obliged to know much about what Holly and Katara were up to. He was the one that knew Holly the most, after all, and he loved Katara, of course. So that night, after everyone served themselves helpings of soup (it, being much awkward to witness Holly eat for the first time. He felt sorry for her because every eye in the camp was on her.) Aang confronted Katara. He found it easier at the time to talk to her about it instead of Holly.

"Hey, Katara," Aang greeted. She was busy cleaning up camp. She would waterbend water from her gorges to rinse out the pots that were cooked from. If that didn't clean the dishes, then she would scrub and repeat. This was easily distracting her from noticing Aang's serious determination. She, like everyone else from the camp, was still trying to recover from the horrific journey that they had just gotten over.

"Hey, Aang," she replied bemusingly. It was strange for Aang to look at a pair of distinctive eyes that were not golden. It reminded him of how long they have actually been separated for.

Aang sighed, and said, "I think we should talk." He sat down right in front of Katara and her pile of dishes to be eye-level with another. Katara didn't know what he meant by what he said. Her thoughts became paranoid, that just maybe he found out what happened with her in Haven city. She tried her best to act like nothing has ever happened to her, to make herself appear oblivious.

"About what?" she said, looking at him confusingly. Her faked blank expression didn't seem like it was enough to fool the avatar. Despite this, he continued.

"Well. . . we're all family, right? You know, especially with you and me? We can trust each other with anything." Katara knew where he was going with this.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, setting down one of the dishes that was in her hands. The wash rag that she was using fell into the desert sand. The freezing temperatures were beginning to creep back up again. There was no wind in the environment, but it made it feel simply numb to all that were under the sunless sky. The moon was rising.

"I just want to know if. . . anything happened with you and Holly today. I just want to know if you're okay," he assured. He was concerned for her well-being, that certainly wasn't a lie. But this was more of a matter into being curiously, yet innocently nosey in a protective way. He cared about Katara, therefore he wanted to know if she was safe or not.

"I'm fine Aang, I-"

"Aang," a strikingly convenient voice called. "Why don't you go help Sokka with the tent? You guys need to have it ready before the cold kicks in." Holly leaned up against Appa, who was fairly close to where he and Katara sat. She still longed for support from her injured leg. For the first time in a while, he saw Holly not being covered in her disguised outfit from the mafia. Since she had nothing else to wear, she simply subtracted a number of pieces to her outfit. She was no longer wearing those hugely stiff boots over her small feet. They looked just as small as Toph's, which was hard to believe once he looked back at the upper half of her body. She rolled up her black pants a few times to expose her ankles and some of her calfs, but she kept her knees covered.

He looked at Holly like he was being up to time-out. Holly nodded and pointed behind him once more. Sulkingly, he agreed, accepting the fact that it was something that never was and never going to be his business. When he left the sight of Katara, his mind was still attacking him with ideas of what could've happened before they arrived to the mob. That remained in his mind the entire night.

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"You alright?" Holly asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her muscles stuck out more, bringing the attention to her less towards Holly's face. This only reminded her of the pains she encountered with the mobsters. Holly was a spitting image of any mobster that lived in the city. The truth was, she was having a hard time figuring out that Holly _was_ a mobster.

"I'm fine," Katara repeated.

With much difficulty, Holly sat herself down beside her. She used as much arm strength as she could, but she still felt pain in her knee when it was forcably bent along with her movements. "I can see the sleep in your eyes that you've lacked," she stressed under her laboring breath.

"It's impossible to sleep." Katara continued to scrub the pot in her lap to distract herself. She wanted Holly to walk away from her, just as Aang did.

Holly meant to say something in return, but then she remembered that she didn't healthily sleep for weeks after her own tragedy. There wasn't going to be anything to change it. No one can control their own nightmares.

"I have to ask you something before I let you go," Holly said. "I'll leave you alone after that, but you have to answer me truthfully, otherwise, I'm staying here," she explained. Then, she added, "And I'll be able to tell if you're lieing."

Katara nodded.

"Did the mob. . . torture the other two at all?" She felt embarrassed that she didn't know their names. She only knew Katara's name because Aang screamed her name that night of the battle. With everything else going so fast all at once, his cry was barely audible for Holly's damaged hearing, but she still heard it. She saw her face in between the panicked mobsters and fire nation soldiers just long enough to remember it.

"They hit all of us when we were together," Katara shrugged. That wasn't even the worst part.

"You healed you and the other two before you escaped?"

Katara was surprised that she figured out her plan so quickly. "How did you know?"

"Trust me, I know an abused person when I see one, and that's the only loophole. You showed all of the symptoms when it wasn't physical." Holly gazed upon the horizon that was being reflected by the moonlight. Holly's golden eyes were a complete contrast to the blues that were glistening off of the sparkling sand. "So when you say 'when we were together', that must mean that you were seperated at times?"

"They would take Sokka out more often then Toph and I because he would be so protective of us. . ." her voice trailed away. She pursed her lips to prevent herself from losing her self control. Holly let her heart give out to her brother, finally knowing his own name. She admired him greatly for his courage and determination. She watched him put his blue tent together with Aang. When she focused on his face, it didn't give off a positive mood.

Then, she slowly moved her eyes towards the blind earthbender, sitting by her lonesome. She rocked back and forth through the unstable earth that supported her. Toph's sightless eyes gave off an emotion worth getting to know.

"What about Toph?" Holly studied Toph's actions closely after mentioning her name. She dug her hands in the sand tenselly. She knew that she could hear them, judging by her looks.

". . . I don't know," Katara breathed. She tried to make her voice only be heard by Holly, but that attempt failed. Holly wanted to brush everything off of her shoulders for now. Instead of feeling guilty and miserable about the past, she wanted to discuss her intentions in the future. She broke her stare from the other three across the camp, looking at Katara directly.

"We can be clear that we can trust each other?" she asked her. "I don't want you to be afraid of me; I know I'm probably not the prettiest face to look at after what you've been through, but on a conscious level, the other mobsters and I are completely opposite. I don't agree with their actions anymore - more of their philosophy in life. I didn't understand their code of life for a pretty long time, but once I found out what I was actually supporting, I turned against them."

"What do you mean by that?"

Holly sighed. ". . . A few days after the explosion, a mobster named Angra Mainyu stepped into my room and told me that he was going to find the avatar and use him as bait for the fire nation. His plan was to drag me into one of the best fire nation's prisons with him to get information on where he could be.

"The thing was, I just found out a while later that he was responsible for setting the bomb off. It was when I finally realized what kind of people these mobsters really were: He was only trying to kill me so he could be the leader-"

"Are you saying that you were the leader of that place?" Katara fumed.

"No! Well, yes, I was, but that's not what I'm trying to tell you-"

"What, are you gonna try to convince me that those people back there aren't really as much of bastards as they look?" Katara's accusement was beginning to press Holly's buttons.

"Please, can I get to my point first?" Holly asked, holding back her voice as much as she could. She desperately clenched her fists to avoid heating up in anger again. Katara took a deep breath, and reluctantly allowed her to continue.

"I've heard of the avatar's name being mentioned a few times before I was appointed, and I learned quickly after that day that Mainyu's plan to seize power was going to corrupt the world. The war that's going on was partly the reason why I remained in the mob. The mafia's original purpose was to give exiled fire nation peoples a chance of survival. . . So then I realized that the world's hope would be lost without the avatar. He's the one that can give balance to the world. . . I wanted to do whatever I could to help him defeat the fire lord so the people of our world wouldn't have to live like I did in the years to come, 'cause, you know, chances are that the mafia community is going to get heavily populated if the fire lord defeats us all. Katara, the only reason why I got the job of being the mob boss was because I thought I could save them!"

Katara's anger towards Holly softened. It was replaced by a sense of understandment. She, too, wanted to do her part in helping Aang. "You're a firebender," she stated.

"If you will?" she requested. "I'd like to teach Aang firebending."

Katara looked behind her shoulders. Toph, Sokka and Aang crept up behind her without her noticing. They listened to Holly's entire speech. Toph and Sokka nodded. Aang had an excited grin upon his face. Katara smiled along with them, and nodded.

Aang was so happy by this news that he soared up in the air and scootered around the camp. He zipped past the tent that him and Sokka just put up and it fell to the sand. Toph burst out laughing, while Sokka groaned in frustratment.

"Before we all get too excited!" Holly yelled above the rest of the sounds. When her attention was granted, she finished herself. "We gotta get the hell outta this desert."

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"Where are Shehr and Bvilo?" Mainyu demanded to the fellow drug dealer. He has already told him that he doesn't know where they were because they never came back from their mission. Their boss was doing a good job at frightening them to death: slamming his fists against the table, looking at them straight in the eye, emitting smoke to show his anger. His voice strangely sounded like his former girlfriend when she used to give orders.

"Just as I said, they haven't returned from the desert," he repeated, becoming irritated.

"Surely, they could not have perished in a matter of hours!" he bellowed. He stood up from the chair behind his desk who was rightfully Holly's. He took over her own headquarters.

"Maybe, someone killed 'em," Chris suggested, squaring his shoulders. He avoided eye contact with his leader, but still kept his confidence with him. His real guess, he felt greatly certain that it was true. It made him feel happy that they all survived. Mainyu leaned against Holly's desk by placing his palms on either side.

"I am aware of the relationship you've once shared with that little bitch. I've asked you once before to move on to the much more beautiful women we have for sale in this very mafia! But things have changed, now. . . I can _order_ you to put a stop to protecting her!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Mainyu's greatest weakness was true firebending. He was actually a master of the art of lightning. He could produce a bolt of electricity from his hand in one swift movement. That was just what he sent to Chris.

Chris was much more agile then the aging man standing before him. He wasn't educated with the ways of redirecting lightning, but he was able to avoid his attack by jumping out of the way just in time. Almost always, he would never give up a fight, but he ran away this time. It could be a matter of life and death if he were to stay.

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"So that'll be the plan. We'll pack up and leave first thing in the morning," Sokka concluded. Everyone else nodded. "Okay, now, everyone needs to get a good sleep tonight so we can get an early start tomorrow," he reminded. Holly admired his sense of leadership. The way he protected Toph and Katara reminded her of Chris. She had much respect for the water tribe warrior.

When the conversation ended, everyone went their seperate ways. Sokka and Katara got up from the circle and went to go enter their water tribe-made tent. When she lost their sight, Holly turned her attention to Aang, who was walking towards Appa. He looked unnaturally freezing, he shivered uncontrollably from the lack of heat. The flashback of them staying the night together flowed through her head. He was extremely sensitive to the cold in this desert, but she couldn't blame him. It wasn't a normal cold from the winter. It had a depressing sense as if the air surrounding them was dead. Any type of water was nonexistant.

Finally, she looked at Toph, whom she still hasn't spoken to personally to yet. She remembered that she required a favor from her. It could be possible for her to do it herself, but it would be much more of a health risk. But either way, it was going to be painful. Holly stood up, and ignoring the pain shooting up her leg, she limped across the camp to follow Toph. The significance of Holly's vibrations were much different then any other's that she has sensed. She stopped walking.

"Toph?" Holly asked. She honestly had much respect towards her, for being able to be a master at earthbending, despite her inability to see. And heightwise, her and Toph were equivelent. It was nice for Holly to finally be able to look at somebody at eye-level when speaking to her, even though she wouldn't notice if she was or not. "Can I ask you something?"

"You're gonna interrogate Toph too?" Katara interrupted, who somehow ended up back in the camp. Holly shot her fiery-golden eyes at her, which made her flinch. But she looked angry.

"Oh, so you're just assuming that that's what I'm gonna do? You think I really wanna do that - seriously?" Holly threw her muscular arms in the air in protest. This wasn't the first time that Katara came to judged conclusions about Holly's actions. She doesn't recall interrogating anyone, unless she considers their conversation interrogation. If that was so, then she hasn't seen anything yet - coming from Holly, at least.

"What else could you possibly ask her?" she asked, throwing back the same type of expression.

"How about seeing if she's willing to get the piercings out that are stuck in my skin?" Holly pointed to her face. "I could probably do it myself, if I was careful, but if I were to use my firebending then I could risk not getting all of it out before it closes. I wanted to ask her if she can metalbend."

Katara opened her mouth to send back another retort, but then closed it back. She thought through what there could be said next, and all that she could think of was to give her a proper apology. Since she could not admit that she was wrong, and she actually only thought that because of her own self pain, she simply just gestured a look of _whatever_ and turned back around into the tent. Holly held her tongue for prestigous remarks again. She let it go and turned her attention back towards Toph so that she could ask her the favor personally.

"Can you give it a shot, please? I don't really want these things stuck in my skin forever," Holly mumbled.

"What are piercings?" she asked. Holly forgot that she was blind along with being an earthbedner, when she was just talking about it today with Katara. Giving into peer pressure was finally paying its toll on her mind.

"It's, uh, crafted metal that goes through your skin," she explained. Never did she have to explain what it was before since it was visible to people with eyes.

"Why the hell would you wanna do that?"

Holly laughed. The thing was, she was exactly right. "Part of the culture, I guess," she shrugged with a grin on her face. Her lip ring moved to the side with her full lips which caused irritation. It was stuck to her skin as if it were glued there. Without any type of bending, the only other way to take them out was if she ripped the skin along with it. She already had to do that once to the two on either side of her chest just below her collar bone.

"Well, if it's in your skin, then how am I supposed to bend it?"

"Can you at least try - please!" she snapped, getting impatient from Toph's questions. She saw the intimidation she received through her facial expression. ". . . I'm sorry, just, nevermind, I'll do it myself."

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She limped all the way back to the sand dunes. The hills of millions of tiny rocks reflected the color of the moonlight beautifully. It gave off a winter look, whilst it was well below the freezing level. Holly, of course, didn't even notice anymore. Giving herself body warmth was like a reflex to her at this point. Once she was out of the camp's view (but still able to see everyone clearly) she sat down and leaned up against one of the dunes. She gave a breath of relief and propped her bad leg out in front of her. She ran her fingers through her straightened, layered brown hair. It followed along with them until her hand dropped to her side, when it fell over the sides of her face once more. Staying with the avatar's friends was already stressful on the second day of being with them. . . it could be just the atmosphere. This desert was pretty depressing with the lack of nature, but that was this place was all about, was breaking the laws of nature. This is why she was sitting by herself in the first place.

Holly ran her small hand straight down her face, layed it in her lap, and saw blood smeared across her palm. Her lip was bleeding from her smiling back at camp. That was definately not going to be the first one to be taken out. She pressed her fingertips upon the right of her eyebrow. The implanted piece of metal was disfigured. It felt like someone chewed a piece of gum and let it harden out to dry. When she pulled it around, her skin moved along with it. It wasn't going to budge.

_The stool creaked back and forth as she looked down her shirt in nervousness. Her two piercings were threateningly becoming infected by the minute. It stung whenever anyone ever slightly brushed across it. Mainyu told her that if she heated herself up long enough, then the metal would melt right out. But when she went to Chris about it, he said that there would be a slight chance of that becoming successful. It would be likely that if there was still a fragment of metal left in her skin when it started to close, that she would most likely die of corruption. to the mind and soul. That was probably was Mainyu was planning on happening._

She remembered that day. If she wouldn't of remembered, then she would probably have attempted it. Mainyu was not going to trick her into anything like that because she was not as foolish as him. But how else could it be done without causing pain? There was no other solution. Holly unscrewed one of the metal balls off of the front side of the piercing through her eyebrow to ready herself.

_One. . . two. . . three-_

She seized the metal and thrusted it upwards to force it out of her skin, and just as she thought, it brought the skin with it. She screamed. Holly screamed loud enough for it to echo across the desert. She had trouble controlling her breathing. She wasn't able to take in a full breath anymore, so it was quick and sudden. Her small body curled up into a ball and tears heated up against her skin, boiling the blood that ran down her tanned face. She pressed her head against her lap incredibly. This wasn't even the beginning, because she had ten more to go.

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"Did you hear that!" Aang asked demandingly, throwing himself off the ground with his airbending. He was for certain that it was Holly. He remembered her sounds of pain from when they were in Haven city. He hated hearing that sound of torture and struggle. He had to go help her.

"Was that Holly?" Sokka asked, poking his head out of his tent. Katara didn't bother to emerge. She was still not over their situation from earlier.

"She's over there." Aang and Sokka looked at Toph, who was pointing towards the direction behind Appa to where they could see tiny hills of sand from their view. "Behind the first sand hill."

The gaang heard the whoosh of Aang's glider opening, and another one that was him flying out into the night.

OOOoooooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOooooOOOOOOooooOOOOoo

And there she was. Holly Haven was still sitting against the piled sand, but she was staring out into space loopily. She looked like she was out of it. When he squinted his eyes, he gasped. It looked like she got beat up badly. Blood was pouring down her face, her neck, and there were dark stains in the middle of her stomach. He spotted gleams of sweat covering the rest of her visible skin. He landed himself a few feet away from her, closed and dropped his glider uncaringly into the sand, and ran to Holly's aid.

"Who did this to you?" he questioned, dropping to his knees next to her, ironically like the two of them a few days ago. Holly finally noticed him. With all of the mental strength that she could gather, she rolled her eyes to meet his. Her head fell backwords, giving her a scary, crazed look. She curled her lips into the form of a smile.

"No one did this to me, avatar." Her voice was so quiet and whispered that it was barely audible. She shook with every breath that she took like it was tiring to do such a thing.

"What are you talking about, I heard you screaming all the way from the camp!"

Holly dug her blood-stained hand into the sand on the other side of her and held it up in her lap. She revealed eleven pieces of shriveled up metal mixed with sand, skin and more blood. Aang shook in fear, then forced himself to look back at her face. The blood was, indeed, coming from where her piercings used to be. He shook his head in denial. He couldn't believe that she would go this far with it, she could have gotten help.

"Holly. . . you didn't have to do this, we could've helped you."

"I'm sorry, Aang. My arrogance put us all in danger again. We gotta get outta here before they find us, they're gonna come after us!"

"No they're not, Holly, they're not coming after us, they're far away from where we are." Aang assured her that everything was going to be okay. It was certainly comforting to hear his words, but she knew that he wasn't right. She knew that the mobsters were looking around for anything to use to find them, and screaming into the night was perfect. Before Holly could explain, he gently slid his hands under her back and the crooks of her legs. Holly sighed, enjoying Aang's ways of being protective and sincere. Everything that the two guys in the gaang did reminded her too much of her ex-boyfriend. While it was nice, it was still painful. She closed her eyes when Aang's head reached so close her her's. She didn't want to look at her own city that was taken over by such a ruthless man. "They heard me, Aang, I know they heard me, I'm sorry. . ." she repeated again and again.

Aang picked her up. Holly was the lightest girl that he has ever lifted. It was like she was hallow, from still having so much muscle, he thought that she would be heavier. That wasn't what surprised him the most: the temperatures were freezing to him. It was like standing outside in the middle of a cold winter day without a coat, only there was an absence of wind. Holly was so _warm . . ._ When she was in his arms, it was like he was standing in the middle of a tropical island. Now, he doesn't have to worry about taking his glider back to camp. He could walk back like this for hours.

"They're coming. Aang, I'm not kidding this time, I can see them!"

Reluctantly, he forced himself to look at the inevitable. Of course, Holly was right. The mobsters from Haven city were approaching, and they didn't have that many steps to go for them to start attacking them. There were about thirty of them, is what he could guess to. They were all bundled up in a crowd, not worrying about how aligned they were or if they were marching or not. They were like a contradiction to the fire nation, where they were orignally from.

Holly studied them before making her next decision. They weren't normal mobsters, they were the ones most loyal to their leader. They were the most powerful fighters of the mob.

"Let me down, Aang, those are dealers, they could kill us in an instant from here!" Holly's voice was suddenly much stronger then it was a few moments ago. When she was defensive, she had more confidence. Holly spoke like she didn't have eleven bleeding wounds on her body. Her tone made it demanding enough to place her back into the sand. Cold took him over once more.

Holly knew that she had somewhat of an advantage this time, now that they didn't have the sturdy earth under their feet. Loose sand cannot hide the electricty from travelling through the ground.

Two small bolts shot through the sand on each side of the crowd. Holly was forced to use both legs to prevent it from commiting murder. Her right kneecap cracked in protest. The lightning travelled through her safely and flew out of her fists like fire. Aang could feel the shocking heat from where he was standing. He took a step back in caution, picked up his glider from the ground, and then walked right up beside her.

"I'll get rid 'o the lightning, you attack!" she commanded. She got rid of a fourth of the opposing side with her hit. He couldn't determine if they were alive or not. They were still a good ways ahead of them. Before Aang could make his move, he became distracted by an all-too familiar groan from behind him. He turned his attention towards Appa, who was flying through the chilling skies with Sokka, Katara and Toph in the saddle.

Holly was still trying her hardest to keep their attacks away from her and Aang. She flickered her eyes at Appa for less then a second, calculating what she saw in her mind while she continued to block the mobsters. Much leg work was required for this, which made it even more difficult and tiring for the firebender. It was usually much easier to perform this when having her metal-souled boots on for better absorbment of their electricity, but she left those back at camp. Every shifting move that she made, made the sand fly in the windless air and cloud up her vision. Without her sight, she was almost nothing. But she kept on fighting back.

She looked at Appa again, and she came to notice that their intentions were to fly directly above the mobsters. She could not let that happen. She wouldn't doubt that they were equipped with bows and arrows, and the skilled benders were able to shoot lightning in the sky as well. But what was she going to do? If she left to protect Sokka, Katara and Toph, then it would be exposing Aang to their bending. If she stayed, then it would risk three other lives.

"Either you get on my back, or you fly with me, you got two seconds to figure it out!" Holly yelled rapidly, still nervously keeping her perefial vision on the flying bison who was soaring dangerously closer to the mobsters by the second. Aang obviously chose to fly along with her this time, as he hated to not being in control when he's with his own element. Both of them took off at the same time. Holly spiraled in her blinding white fire, gaining more and more height and speed to catchup with Appa. Aang did the same, trying to avoid Holly's flames in the process.

It was just as Holly predicted. The mobsters shot bolt after bolt of lightning into the night skies. Appa was much of an easier target to them, so that was what they went after. Holly and Aang were travelling much too fast to target accurately. Holly extended her arms on either side of her and used them to absorb any lightning that was sent. When it didn't reach her quick enough, she would suck it into her clutches and explode it back to the ground. It suddenly became a game of hot-potato. Holly would redirect the lightning, send it back to the mobsters, and it would be sent back to her again. Aang was sending strong gusts of wind through the crowd to throw off their balance, some were knocked off their feet. It was the perfect distraction.

Sokka, Katara and Toph were doing their share of help, as well. Sokka would throw his boomerang towards the crowd repeatedly. It would bounce of each of their heads before coming back to meet him again, and if he had time, he would take hold of Appa's reigns and steer him accordingly. Katara sent mounds of water and ice knock over a good few. Toph turned the sand beneath their feet to solid stone and played with their balance from the earth by shifting it up, down, and side to side. It mostly mattered of wherever Appa was turning at the moment.

Holly was the one to give the final blow. She took in the biggest breath that her lungs could handle, gathering as much intense heat that was humanly possible. Everyone in the area heard the whisp of her fire being conjured. . . she let go of the fire around her, she purposely pummelled to the ground. Holly was a human-explosive. When the white fire met the sturdy earth, it boomed as loud as any bomb. The earth exploded into numerous rocks and boulders, being sent in different direction throughout the desert. The mobsters were thrown around like rag dolls. The smoke following up to it was forced against Aang's airbending like it was atomic. Sokka, Katara and Toph covered themselves from the toxic fumes that arose and Aang glided well out of harm's way.

For a long pause, there was no movement in the desert. They waited, and waited, and waited. . . meanwhile, Aang landed himself in the saddle of Appa along with everyone else. Aang's lemur, Momo, soon caught up with them and clutched on the side of the saddle for dear life. As did the rest of them. They awaited for Holly's return.

Finally, after Appa circled around the disaster a few times, they saw a bright light, being Holly, soar vertically into the sky. They could tell that she was weak. Her direction was making her swerve in her place, her fire was not as strong as it was, sometimes it would go out in mid-flight, but she would catch herself before she fell. She made it out alive.

She sloppily threw herself into Appa's saddle, cutting off her fire earlier then she should have. Everyone jumped and gasped when they saw Holly's gruesome appearance. Holly gasped, but for a different reason. She gasped for air. Her lungs were extremely sensitive to that much smoke. After another gasp, she coughed violently, curling up into a ball in a feedle position. It was time for Katara to heal her once more.

"Get us out of here, Sokka," Aang ordered.

Sokka obeyed without question.

ooOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOooooOOOOOooooOOOoo

**FINALLY, everyone's out of Haven city and the mob. Woot :D. My plans are to keep them out of there for a while until maybe the end of my story. For a while, my main focus will be to have Holly teach Aang firebending, and for the gaang to go through some of the adventures that they did with Zuko (who is absent in this book, just as the title says). Stay tunedd.**


	19. Ember Island

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I had almost half of this written awhile ago, it sounded cool and I really liked it, but then I come back the next day to finish it to see that all of my text turned into a bunch of squares! wtf? I googled how to fix it, and they said to rename it as a document but it didn't work. Kinda pisses me off. Now I gotta write it again. D:**

* * *

"Okay, you're all set," Katara concluded, bending her water back into her gorges. Holly didn't look like she felt any better. She was still having problems with her unstable breathing, and quite frankly, she was exhausted. But everyone was. It was the middle of the night. They were relieved that the fiasco was finally over and they could get some rest again. This only applied to Toph, Aang and Holly. Sokka was the one controlling Appa with the reigns, and Katara could not find sleep possible anymore. Toph was already dozing off during the healing process, but it was now official. She cuddled herself up in the back against some sleeping bags to gather any warmth against the slicing cold wind. Aang had nothing but himself to rely on while falling asleep. He had nothing to grasp onto, being in the middle of the saddle, but he kept himself as close to the saddle as he could. Holly, just when the water left her face, curled up into a ball, closed her eyes, and didn't move once more.

Katara gazed upon the three sleeping benders for a moment, and then she turned her head to her left to see her older brother. Sokka looked just as desperate for sleep as she did. His posture looked too straight, his arms were unusually stiff in his lap. The reigns attatched to Appa's horns were the only two things moving in his area. Katara climbed out of the saddle and made her way to sit next to Sokka, greeting him in the process. She mumbled "Hey," when their eyes met. The bags under his eyes were signs to show that gravity has been pulling on his skin, longing for him to fall into a decent sleep. She could deeply relate to his condition.

"You're not gonna try to get some sleep?" he asked worryingly.

"It's impossible to sleep," she said, mostly under her breath.

"I know. . ." he admitted. He began fidgeting around with Appa's reigns to try and get his mind off of flashbacks and memories. What happened was not a dream, and the reality of it was just as bad every time that it came back to him. It was all the same for his sister.

"I'm glad that we're finally leaving that place," Katara pointed out. She wanted to change the subject just as much as he did.

"Me too. I think I have an idea where our next stop could be." Sokka took out one of his trusty maps from one of his pockets and handed it to her. "It's the closest piece of land around here. It's called Ember Island." He pointed to his desirable destination after she unfolded the map in her hands. He pointed to a small red island a few miles away from the coast that they were approaching.

"But, Sokka, that's part of the fire nation!" she hissed.

"I know, but I have a feeling that if we can get good enough disguises and a decent hiding spot, then we'll be okay. We're going to have to go into the fire nation anyway once the comet comes, and if we stay there, then it won't take as long to get there," he explained to prove his idea was worthy.

"Do you just wanna go there because it would take less time to leave the desert that way?" Her calculation must have been right. Even though he denied so, she could tell that it was a lie. She understands why he would want to leave so quickly, but she also knows how risky and dangerous that it would be. . .

"I guess that we could try it," she shrugged, giving the map back to her brother, who folded it back up into a small square and slid it back into his pocket.

There was a small pause where Katara debated wether she should bring up their times in the mafia or not. She still didn't tell her brother was happened when they were seperated, and the same went for Sokka. Neither of them knew what happened to Toph. None of them shared their thoughts about it once they were out of the city. She knew that she couldn't blame it on the conversation being awkward, but she still wanted to avoid it at all costs. It could wait for another day.

"You should go try to sleep for a while. We'll be flying all night," he suggested, breaking the short silence.

"What about you?" she asked defensively.

"I'll be fine, Katara, I'll catchup with you guys later," he assured. He certainly wasn't convincing, but she knew that she had to accept it for his sake. _Someone_ needed to stay awake during their flight, was her excuse. Katara nodded, and climbed back into the saddle.

She hezitated before laying next to Holly. She was afraid to be so close to someone like her. It was the only reason why she cannot get along with her so easily, because her appearance is frightening to her. She's just as much of a gangster as everyone else was in Haven city. She might have a better heart then all, but they were identical on the outside, and that was enough for her to be taken aback. Simply looking at her gave her more painful flashbacks of her tragedy. All that she did not want to do was relive any part of that journey ever again. She faced the other way before she let her eyelids close.

* * *

"Where is Chris?"

". . . We don't know, sir."

"You don't know?" Mainyu raised his voice. It towered and bounced against the fragile walls that surrounded them. "Has he been seen since I have spoken to him?"

The mobster did not want to answer. Instead of his leader exploding in his face or killing him on the spot, he spoke in a much calmer voice. "Did my dealers ever return with the little bitch?"

Again, the mobster did not reply. He started to shake, his knees buckled against him while standing. His heartbeat accelerated to its fullest point, to where Mainyu could sense it from across the room. The silence was kniving.

Then, Mainyu shook more in his spot then the mobster in fury. His angry buildup was equal to Holly's. His entire body heated up enough for his dark robes to start smoking. The unfortunate mobster's life was cut short. His corrupt leader skid his foot against the ground. The friction helped guide his lightning to travel through the earth and reach the man's heart. Mainyu could not accept that his mafia was spiraling under control under his own power.

* * *

He made it all this way by foot, not stopping once to take a break. Being so swift on his feet, no one noticed him leave Haven city in the middle of the day. He had to check if they were still there, to check if she made it alive. If she did, and they were still there, then he is going to join them. If she didn't make it. . . then he didn't know what he was going to do. He certainly wasn't going to stay in the mob. He mine as well stay in the desert until he follows in her footsteps. His life was worth nothing without her.

He stopped. He saw dozens of figures spread about the desert's sand. It was a horrifying sight, and even gross. Some of the bodies were missing limbs, and those limbs were scattered along in the area. Some of the faces were burnt so terribly that they did not even have a face anymore. A few of the bodies had nothing remaining except ash. He clearly knew that the dealers were dead, but that still didn't mean that Holly was alive. He had to keep going. It was a good sign, but he still wasn't for sure yet.

Chris made his way to where the gaang's camp used to lay. He saw two slabs of solid rock that came to a point where they met, which was certainly unnatural in the middle of a desert. An earthbender must have been here. There were a few dishes in the distance that he could make out, and under his feet, he saw swirls in the sand that must have been made by an enormous creature of some sort. What else could this be, but where they were staying? His question was unanswered.

He sat down in the middle of the hot, dry desert, hugging his knees close to him. He couldn't stop thinking about her. What the hell is he going to do now? If she is dead, then he will be staying alive for nothing. If she is alive, should he just go back to Haven city? He was hurt from being so confused. Besides that split moment when she ran into him a few days ago, he hasn't seen Holly in almost two years. His heart burned with pain from her absence, but his love was just as strong as it was the first day that he met her. They have known each other for so long. He was barely thirteen when he saved her from Austain, her sister's furious ex-boyfriend. She was so small and fragile back then. Now, she's the greatest firebender to ever live, according to most. It would not be a challenge to her if they were in an Agni Kai at this point. Holly was outstanding at her bending, but Chris still thought her as the little girl that she was after her rape. He worried and cared about her. He was going to do whatever it took to find her again.

* * *

Holly was a baby the last time that she has come across such a vast ocean. It was something that she could, understandably, not remember at all. She remembers her parents mentioning that she travelled across an ocean to reach Haven city, but she couldn't recall the literal memory whatsoever. Basically, it was the first time that she took in a breath of fresh, salty air. For the majority of her young life, she has spent it in the mafia, which is located in the largest desert in all of the nations. She was definately not used to being in the prescense of so much water, her opposite element.

Holly wrinkled her nose in confusement. She slowly, and very cautiously, opened her eyes: Aang. His sleeping face was much too close for her comfort. She could feel his hot breath brushing past the sides of her face. It was to where her perfect eyesight could see every detail that was written on his face. She noticed that her layered hair was sent in all different directions from so much wind when she ran her fingers through it. She attempted to back away from the avatar, but then she felt another body pressing against her back. Her and Katara's backs were extremely close together, much to her uncomfortableness. Besides with Chris, she has never slept so close with anyone before. Being so included in everything that these people did was a new thing for her.

Her eyes left the focusement of being in Appa's saddle. It was a very blue place. The skies were blue, the clouds were thickened with rain water that surrounded them, the salt water that was many feet below them was glistening against the rising sun. It was nice for her body to sense the sun's rays on such a higher ground. It gave her the strength to give off a long yawn and a relieving stretch to follow. Moisturized air whipped her hair over her face shockingly. She never remebers air containing so much water before. It was like a new discovery to her. The freshness of the environment made her feel so free and lively after such a nice rest.

To the average person, looking upon the horizon of an ocean would make it likely to them that it would seem like it went on forever. Holly could see everything around her if she focused enough. But it caused a stinging annoyance to her temples to look so far into the sea. Her eyes increased in glow the farther that she strained them.

Being cautious to not awake her peers, she scootched herself against the side of the saddle. She was expecting the usual pain to erupt from her injured leg, but nothing severe happened. It has healed over the course of a few days. Her eyes flickered to her bent kneecap, but quickly left to look back into the mysterious ocean. She didn't care if it gave her a headache. Its beauty was drawing her in. She lowered her head to direct them towards the water that they passed. The white ruffles that skimmed the top of the water was curious to her. The calm waves danced with the wind that carried it all the way ashore. There were shadows under the ocean's surface that swimmed along with its current. Everything was so full of life. It was such a contrast - such a dissapointment, that she has been so secluded from the world for so long. She has been missing out on so much.

She didn't notice how much of a daze that she was in until she became so startled when Momo nudged her in the arm for attention. She never usually came across animals in her life, and whenever she did, they were either exotic or vicious. In one instance in her earlier years, before she was leader, she remembers an arrangement being held: another foreign mafia would provide the Haven dealers with vicious dogs for their "jail cells" in exchange for drugs. Now, things were so much more peaceful. A vast ocean was surrounding her, for the first time in years, and she was petting a gentle winged-lemur. Momo chirped in pleasure when Holly stroked his fur behind his large ears.

The rest of the gaang stirred. His call awakened them all. Aang and Toph yawned and stretched, as Holly did. Katara locked her eyes at Holly the moment that they opened. It was slightly uncomfortable to her, and made her self-conscious the more times that she was treated in this way. Sokka's interest was in knowing where they were. He immediately climbed out of the saddle (he swayed back and forth from still being half-awake) and squinted at the ocean's horizon.

"How long have we been asleep?" Sokka asked them, looking back behind his shoulder to where the rest were.

"I don't know, we all just woke up," Toph answered crankily.

"Holly wasn't sleeping." Katara's statement was true, but there was still something slightly irritating about her tone that was pulling at Holly's strings. Everyone turned their attention towards her like she was a suspect of a crime. She was only awake for a few minutes before them. Was she not going to be respected for that?

"What?" Holly spat in a dark voice.

"_How long have we been sleeping for?_" Sokka repeated frustratingly. Holly could be ruthless if given the chance to be in an argument. She had a reputation of winning all sorts of fights back in the mob. This was a different scenario with regular people who were merely doing what they could to save the world in its peril, and that was a goal that they all shared. She answered his question in a cooler mood.

"I don't know, I only wokeup a few minutes before everyone else. Why?"

"I need to know how much longer we have to go until we reach Ember Island." Sokka forgot that he didn't inform the rest of the group of their next destination. He did not choose to inform Toph, Holly, or even the avatar that they were going to camp out in fire nation lands.

"_Ember Island?_" Holly asked. "Why the hell're we going there, for? That's part of the fire nation!"

"I know, but like I told Katara, I don't think it'll be much of a problem if we find a good hiding spot and some decent disguises. And it's not like it's a main part of the fire nation, it's only an island. There probably won't be as many people there." His explination was persuasive to everyone accept Holly. She was raised to have hatred towards her original people, but she was really paranoid from being brainwashed for so many years. They were the whole reason behind the creation of the Haven mob.

"You're really gonna underestimate them like that? Island or not, it's still the fire nation, and-"

"What's wrong, Holly? Afraid of taking a little risk?" Katara teased.

"_Shut_ the fuck up!" she emphasized, gripping her fingertips against the edge of the saddle long enough to have smoke rise with the watery air. It quickly dissapated from the immense amounts of moisture.

Katara felt like she got slapped in the face. Holly's verbal abuse sparked the uprising of another flashback of the physical pain that she dealt in her mob. She cringed in horror when it came melting back. She couldn't believe that their relationship was almost nothing now, when they were able to relate only a day previously. But she couldn't help but to be disrespectful at times. It was merely her anger towards the mobsters that abused her that was making her so hostile towards Holly.

At first, Aang was mesmorized at the fact that Holly's face looked so clean and natural. He felt calm and giddy whenever he was ever with her, and it was almost the same feeling that he would get towards Katara. His respect towards Holly didn't exist anymore once those foul words escaped her mouth. He did a complete turn around and suddenly became boiling with fury at her comment. Aang stood up in the saddle, balancing himself perfectly with his airbending, and put his face bravely up against her's.

"IF YOU WANNA BE APART OF OUR GROUP AND TEACH ME FIREBENDING, THEN YOU BETTER NOT TALK THAT WAY TO KATARA!"

Holly stood up just as Aang was, only she didn't have airbending to help her keep it that way. She was forced to use her damaged legs for support, which didn't even occur to her at the time. She was blinded with anger.

"Yeah, you really wanna risk the world's fate with your sorry-ass girlfriend? I'd expect the avatar to have alittle more second thought!"

Aang took another step forward and hunched his back to be equal in height. They were so close to each other that their noses were almost touching. Holly showed no fear and did not back up an inch, no matter how much closer he crept. She kept her steaming fists behind her hips to prevent him from burning himself with his anger. Throughout Aang's raging yells, Holly did not flinch.

"YOU SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT KATARA, AND I'M KICKING YOU OUT OF THIS SADDLE AND LEAVING YOU THERE!"

"Aang, _stop!_" Katara pulled on his leg forcefully to breakup the fight before it could get violent. She realized now that it was her that was asking for controversey in the first place and that it was partly her fault for playing with Holly's emotions for her own relief. Holly was lucky that she was female. Otherwise, she would be drowning in the ocean beneath them. "You can't kick her out! She's the only way that you'll be able to learn firebending in time! I was the one who got her mad, anyway!"

"THAT DOESN'T GIVE HER THE RIGHT TO-"

"_GUYS!_" Sokka bellowed, screetching his voice to make it overpower the rest. "I don't think that we should be wasting our time fighting and start paying attention to Ember Island!" He pointed out towards the ocean, and there wasn't a horizon to be seen anymore. The dense clouds gradually floated their way out of their view. They have officially reached land.

Holly was able to finally zoom in on the island without straining her muscles in her head. There was a beach that stretched along its coast for miles. She didn't see anybody occupying the sandy beach that were anywhere close. There were about a dozen houses made of strawed-out wood, built on higher ground and decorated with many fire nation colors and decorations. Nobody was remotely in their path to cause disruption to their discreet plan, but she had a feeling that many of them were inside the houses. She spotted a few shadows in the corners of the windowsills. She saw a wind-chime clammering together with the cool breeze, but she wasn't close enough to hear its sound.

"I think you two should shake on it until we find a place to settle in the island!" Toph shouted, who was the only one on the other side of Aang and Holly. Aang almost stepped on her hand because he didn't notice that she was there until she spoke. "She's gonna be teaching you firebending afterwords, anyway. You mine as well get used to it."

"Get used to it? She just bluntly insulted my - er, Katara, and you want me to _get used to it?_" Aang threw his arms in the air in protest, feeling slightly embarrassed at the fact that he almost called her his girlfriend. It was only because that was what Holly said a few moments ago. He couldn't believe Toph's suggestion. It was only going to be a matter of time before Holly says something about her, too. Katara felt something special spark in her heart as a response to his protectiveness.

"Have you forgotten that Holly's the girl that saved your ass more then once the past few days?"

What Toph just said did not even cross his mind until now. The memories of his and Holly's adventure this past week flowed through his mind repeatedly like a broken record. He also forgot that Holly technically saved everybody's life.

Nevertheless, he still burned with hatred for, not Holly, but the words that she chose to use. All that he did was shake his head, and sit back down in the opposite side of the saddle, very close with Katara. Holly stood there for a moment, taking in the realization that she was almost knocked overboard into something that she has never seen before. She was so close to being booted off their gaang, losing everything that she held most dear in life (as in, her main goal and purpose), and dieing in one of the most horrible ways possible.

* * *

As quietly as they could, the gaang landed Appa on the shore of Ember Island. The area was so quiet, that the sand being carried across shore could be easily heard. It sounded way too quiet to be a fire nation island. Holly was defensive enough to scan their surroundings over and over again, but she didn't see anything suspicious except the fact that no one was there. She didn't catch anybody hiding behind the distant bushes, around the corner of their houses, in the windowsills, or anything. She hated only relying her senses upon one out of the five. It wasn't accurate enough.

Holly was the last one to slide off of Appa and land on her struggling, but still healing legs. Both knees cracked in startlement of finally having to support her again. It seemed like the sound echoed throughout the beach. Everyone followed Holly's actions and checked for anybody that may be around. They paced around Appa for a few steps. Checking once simply cannot be enough times.

"You sense anything, Toph?" Holly asked, putting aside the fight she had with Aang a few minutes ago. She had a sense that Toph was partly on her side with things. It was because they were so much alike. Both relied on a certain sense to balance out their weaknesses. Both Holly and Toph were as hard as a rock.

"Not really, but it's hard to tell when I'm in sand," she said.

"You could sense things just fine in the desert," Holly complied. In suspecting her of lying, she scanned Toph's expressions in order to determine.

"The desert was different."

She was lying, and they both knew it. But the question was: why? Unless Toph is really from the fire nation, or has friends that she's trying to cover for, she couldn't find a reason for her to. Possibly, Holly thought that Toph would assume that she might kill them on the spot if she were to give them away. What other reason could there be? Instead of asking if Toph if her guess was correct, she acted on it because she was confident enough to know that she was right.

"I'm not gonna hurt them," Holly said calmly. Her guess was right. She caught that certain twitch in the corners of her facial features that gave away the answers that she needed. She looked startled by the fact that Holly figured it out, like she was some kind of mind-reader.

"They're all hiding in their houses."

"Is there any clearing that we can stay at? If we were to linger around here, then I would get under the impression that they would let somebody know that we were staying here. It would be too much of a risk." Holly could talk like a gangster when she wanted, but she could also apply herself to sound like a genius. She could be smart if she chose to, but she barely ever did. She watched Toph anxiously, as she dug her toes into the sand and pondered. She let her eyes examine the houses once more, just to make sure that they weren't being watched. The avatar was completely exposed in the fire nation's lands. In the house diagonally right to them, the crimson-sewed curtain that covered the doorway entrance ruffled when there was no wind to carry it. Someone spotted them.

"Down here," Toph ordered, taking the lead by walking in front of everyone else. Everyone, including Appa and Momo, followed her into the grassy fields beyond the sandy beach. Holly could finally take the time to enjoy the kind of environment that she was in. She has never seen lush green grass since she was an infant. To step her bare feet into the moist earth was such a soothing gift to her. She felt so connected with the water element. Breathing fresh air was much too incredible for her to grasp in her under sized hands. Throughout her whole life, she has always been exposed to a variety of dangerous toxins which filled her lungs to the point where they are now permanently damaged. Taking in a gulp of fresh air was like a blessing. She felt as though her lungs have been fully healed.

When she lifted her head, a huge wooden mansion was towering over her. It had flags with the fire nation's insignia that were placed on either side of the entrance. There was a path made of carved stones that was leading them to two large doors in between each flag. The mansion spread out a long ways on each side, and to the far right stood a courtyard, all made of crafted and cemented stone, with small flights of stairs that surrounded every corner. There were two doors that could be used to go into the mansion, as well as the one they were all approaching. Not only Holly, but the entire group, was amazed by the magnificent building that was standing before them.

"No one's living here, and it seems to have been abandoned for a while. Kinda nice, eh?" Toph shrugged.

"Nice? Toph, this place is awesome!" Sokka yelled excitedly.

"Appa, Momo: Why don't you make yourselves at home over by that courtyard over there?" Aang suggested, even though it was more of an order. Appa groaned and Momo rode in his saddle as he made his way around the edge of the mansion.

"We should take a look inside first, just to make sure, before we get settled in," Katara said suspicously. She checked for everyone's approval accept Holly's, whom she was still conflicted by from her outburst. She still acted like she was angry at her, but really, that wasn't the case at all, and Holly could read that lie all over her face. Her stubbornness only increased in density by her choosing to still fake her feelings toward her. She thought that they could trust each other with everything. It was like their talk together meant nothing to her.

Katara was the least hezitant to put her hand around one of the golden doorknob's when they all came face-to-face with this mansion. It was clearly owned by someone of the fire nation, or at least it used to. Everyone waited in anticipation, Katara turned the knob as slowly and quietly as possible. Quicker then intended, the door flew opened. There was a fairly large foyer just beyond the threshold. The only source of light was the sun that peered through the limited amount of windows, but Holly saw many unlit candles throughout the front of the house. Just as they all stepped into the house, the candles ignited by the rise of Holly's hand. They flinched in startlement when she made it happen so easily.

The coast was, in fact, clear. There were three hallways that were on the left, right, and front side of the foyer room. There were four small wooden tables that supported four cylinder candles to light up the room. There were no windows in this room, but there were a few on the left and right hallways. Holly could not only see the inches of dust covering the walls and floor, but she could smell the stuffiness. This mansion hasn't been occupied in a long time.

"Let's all split up. Toph and I will go down here," Sokka pointed to the hallway to the right, "Katara and Aang can go down there," he pointed down the hallway ahead. "And Holly can go over there."

"Why do I have to go by myself?" Holly protested.

"Because there isn't an even number of people, and you're the strongest bender out of all of us. You don't need backup," Sokka explained straightforwardly. She was flattered to be called the strongest bender out of everyone including the avatar, but she felt left out from everyone else. She wished that she could bring Chris along with her. Holly accepted and nodded.

Holly turned her back on everyone and began to make her way down the dark corridor. Not wanting to strain her eyes any more, she turned her palm to face the ceiling and a small blaze of white fire ignited. The small fire was bright enough to light the entire hallway and some of the house behind her. On the walls, she noticed a few portraits of a sour-looking man with a long dark beard to match his hair. The top of it was tied in a knot with a special crown with the insignia of the fire nation. The next portrait was the same man, only he was standing next to a woman. She was tall and skinny, but still very beautiful. She had long, dark flowing hair that came down to her waist and both were wearing royal robes made of black and shades of red. And the third had both the man and the woman, but there were two small children standing in front of them. A young girl that looked to be around eight or nine years old was standing in front of the man, who's long hair was tied into a bun with the same symbolic metal to hold it with; her face looked oddly familiar to her. Then, she saw the young boy standing in front of the woman. There was no scar on his face yet, but it still clicked in her head. She met those two just about a week previously by being thrusted into their airship: it was Princess Azula and Prince Zuko. If that was true, then those two spouses must be their mother and father, which would make the father Fire Lord Ozai.

Maybe not any longer, but this mansion had to be owned and occupied by the fire lord, himself, at some point.

She continued walking. She wasn't for sure of that yet. It was still extremely likely that no one has ever lived here in quite some time, anyway, so it should be worth a try to check all of the rooms that were down this wing.

The first room that she came across appeared to be a simple guest room, complete with a bed, a small table, a wardrobe, dresser and vanity. The second seemed to be some sort of dining room. A long, rectangular table stretched out to the end of the room with dozens of wooden chairs surrounding it. Three tall candles were placed in the middle of the candles. Royal dishes and silverware were neatly placed inside tall, glass cabinets that were set against the left wall. They looked like they haven't been touched in years. And the third was a room with a smoothly crafted rocking chair, a huge recliner, and two similiar, yet small chairs to the left of it. They were all in a half-circle around a fireplace. There was barely any ash inside the fireplace, nor was there any firewood inside the room to be lit with. The only living thing that Holly could spot was a fellow spider in the far back-corner of the room, spinning a web by its lonesome. When she could conclude that there wasn't anybody on her side of the hallway, she made her way back to the foyer.

"Did you find anyone?" Sokka's voice echoed through Holly's brain, even though she was the one who saw him coming with Toph before he even reached the foyer. Holly shook her head once and simply said, "Nope, but I think they have pictures of the fire lord up on their walls."

"Yeah, that is the fire lord, there were pictures of him and his family down there, too," Sokka said.

"Do you think he lived here?" Toph asked.

Katara was the one who answered the question. Holly didn't even hear her and Aang come back until just then, unless they had been standing there the whole time. "He might have, but even if he did, I don't think it really matters. You can clearly tell that no one has been living here for years, and the fire lord is probably far away from here, by now-"

"So why not hide from the fire lord in his _own house?_" Sokka asked with a huge grin on his face. He clentched his fists in excitement at his comical suggestion.

"Seems safe to me," Aang said, squaring his shoulders. "And you wouldn't believe what Katara and I found back there: there's a huge courtyard in the back of the mansion, and it's the perfect place for me to practice my firebending!"

Holly felt taken aback by Aang's happiness. He was so furious with her awhile ago, and now she can read his anxiousness all over his face. She knew that it was safe to ask him, "You wanna go check it out with me? You know, I can give you your first lesson or two while we're out there."

Katara, Sokka, and even Toph looked hezitant to Holly's invite, but Aang couldn't agree more.

* * *

**Yeah, it's a pretty lengthy chapter, and not much really happens, but it was nice to get away from all of the drama and gangsterness for once lol. These next few firebending teaching chapters are gonna be much more laid back, and I'll probably throw in some romance here and there if its needed. Lemme know what you think :P**


	20. The Ability to Ignite

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of she show.**

**I am so happy to be back! My internet got hit with a really bad malware virus and I think it was over a month ago now. I couldn't go on anything, there were popups everywhere, this "antivirus" thing wanted me to pay for their shit, blahblahblah, so I put it away, since I figured my parents would call a friend of ours to fix it. It never happened. Being fed up, I somehow managed to fix the whole thing by myself. Yay :D**

**Soo yeah, I'm back, and I'm continuing with my story :)**

* * *

Aang air-scootered his way down the large hallway with a quick, buzzing zip. More picture frames that were hanging off the wall were flown out of proportion, dust from the creaky floors scattered everywhere and darkened the view, and a few side tables were knocked over from the massive gusts. There were a couple of red flags with the fire nation's insignia hanging from the tall ceiling that were whipped around. Was this really how he was feeling? How could he get over Holly's harsh words so fast? She stood there for a moment with a questionable look on her face. When Aang was no longer in view, she began to walk with her own steady pace.

There were extravagent, hand-carved poles towards the end of the hallway that supported the ceiling above. There were no longer walls to enclose her inside. Sunlight peered through the openings and reflected against the wood to give it a golden tone. Holly felt a sense of warmth take over her. There was plenty of sun to go around back in Haven City, but the case was so much different when setting foot on Ember Island. There was enough of the other elements to create a balance. Under this sunlight, small weeds were able to grow in between the cracks of the stone floor. Little critters scurried through the dust that remained untouched. They, too, were overwhelmed of Aang's zooming entrance.

When Holly's eyes reached the courtyard, she noticed that Aang was already stripped of his shirt and in an assumed firebending stance. She analyzed his horse stance precisely.

"There are things we need to set straight before we start," Holly said. She leaned against one of the larger poles that was part of the doorway to the courtyard. There was a thick, green leaved tree in the corner of the yard. An actual, healthy tree was rooted in the earth of where she stood. Aang took no appreciation to it, but Holly thought that it was beautiful.

"I don't want to talk about what happened earlier. I'm over it now. I just want to start my firebending lessons." Aang's smile faded. His concentration was bold. Holly mentioning their bump in the road that happened earlier ruined his moment of excitement.

"So what are you gonna teach me first? How about that one move that sends lightning through the ground?" He tried to mimick the move from what he has witnissed with his experience this past week. It was amusing to her that his effort was great. But it wasn't nearly the quickness that counted. All of the concentration had to be with the firebending.

"You're too good for that kind of stuff. You deserve to learn how to do real firebending." She crossed her arms, her muscles being more noticable, and took a few steps into the courtyard.

"When you say 'real firebending', you mean I'll learn how to bend white fire. Right?"

"Aang. . . you don't wanna have that kind of power." The memory of her fire burning human beings flashed before her eyes. Her eyelids attempted to cover the memory, but it was powerfully and permanently scarred in her head.

"Wow. You're really boring."

"Sorry, you wanna go get a nicer firebender that's willing to teach you?" Now she was facing him. She felt hot under her pitch black shirt. Aang was going to retaliate, but she took his breath away. Holly had a black undershirt that covered her chest and wrapped around her rib cage and the back of her shoulder blades. Her entire waist was exposed. Her skin was a shimmering tan. Her figure was equivalent to an hour glass. At the same time, she had six abs that hugged around her curves. She really was feminine under all of her dark apparel.

"Hold out your hand," she commanded. She somehow made her way right in front of him before he knew it. He didn't know what this had to do with his lesson, but he obeyed respectfully. The rest of his body stood straight. Holly placed all of her fingertips in the center of his palm. After a small moment, she slid them all in different directions to the edge of his hand. He felt a very strong source of heat being lifted from his skin where it contacted Holly's.

"Just like air, water, and earth, fire is present within every human being. With any human, bender or non-bender, fire resides in the blood flow. It is what keeps the heart beating and what keeps one going alongside the other elements. This source of fire is very difficult to manipulate for the fact that it is not only subtle, but it is also in the form of. . . lightning, persay. The conditions are different for those who can bend fire, ironically, because we are gifted with another source of fire that lies within our very soul." Her hand pulled away from Aang's palm, and fire was created. It wasn't the white blinding fire that he was so used to seeing, but it was natural. "And it is maturely reachable if your intentions are accurate."

"Why isn't it white?" he asked, since he has never seen her bend normal fire.

"Because I am not its original source." Holly twirled around the playful ball of flame around her fingers until they were completely covered.

"So what you mean is. . . that fire came from me? My soul?"

Holly nodded. "Sure did."

Aang was astounded. His jaw hung half-opened as he watched the fire engulf Holly's little hand. "So. . . does that mean I'm gonna try that thing with your hand?"

"Do you want your hand to burn to crisp before you realize that you're in excrutiating pain? Judging from the look on your face, I'm guessing not." Holly pulled Aang's hand back to where it was, since he pulled it opposite from being intimidated. They became only inches apart. Holly's layered hair was reflecting the sun's rays. The only parts of skin that were not shimmering were the scars where her piercings used to be. And her eyes. . . she took in a breath of fresh air, and when she exhaled, the fire was released from her hand and landed in his. He was so nervous that something was going to go wrong like the last time he was given a flame.

This is when she took her steps back. "Put your right foot behind your left." His foot hezitantly slid through the gras until it was a step behind his left. His eyes were locked on his fire. He thought that the same thing was going to happen, but Holly would get burned this time. "Follow up with your right arm." Holly demonstrated what she meant in front of him. Aang's left arm was shaking uncontrollably and his fire was losing its strength.

"Don' worry about the flame, Aang, just pretend it's not there. You can't conentrate too much on it right now, jus' keep breathin'." Aang took Holly's word too seriously and the strong breath put it out. He looked at his teacher desperately. He thought that she was going to stop and give him some help, but she said, "That's a'ight, jus' light it up again."

"How do I do that?" Aang's stance fell and he stood up straight in confusement.

"What the hell're you doing? Get back in your stance." Her voice rose loud enough to be frightening. In a way, it couldn't compare to Toph's harsh training.

"But I don't have any fire!" he said, throwing his arms in the air.

"That don' mean you just give up on it!"

Aang had nothing to say back. He looked at her blankly, who was still in her stance that was as stiff as a rock. "Right foot behind your left."

* * *

". . . Damn."

"Sokka!" Katara slapped his shoulder in annoyance.

"Shh!" Toph shushed. "I wanna hear what she's gonna say next!" She slowly approached the intense scene even closer and hid by the next pole. She turned her head to the side to increase her audibility.

* * *

Aang heard the three of his friends talking amongst themselves that drew his attention away. Holly traced his eye contact and spotted a fraction of a strand of black hair behind the closest pole that moved ever so slightly. Katara was obviously behind the next pole because she could see her hand on the side, and Sokka's foot was visible on the other side of her.

"What are you guys doing back there?" Holly asked, turning around to face them. This time, she was forced to break her own stance.

"Awe, she caught us!" Toph groaned. She stomped one of her feet on the ground to add another crack to the floor's collection.

"Good going, Sokka!" Katara blamed.

"Why don't you come up and watch us? Maybe you guys could be Aang's cheerleaders." Holly grinned. Her teeth were aligned perfectly with her smile. Aang gloomily smiled back, even though she never noticed his stare.

Sokka, Katara and Toph stepped into the courtyard. "What were you guys doing when you said that fire is in someone soul?" Toph asked curiously, who was the only one aware of the entire conversation.

"Practicing firebending," she said as a matter of factly. She shrugged her shoulder at her when Toph gave her a dirty look. "I'm teaching Aang, not you, and frankly, I don't feel like repeating myself."

"Holly is funny! Who knew?" Sokka concluded, pointing a finger at her with a huge smile on his face. It felt so good for him to laugh again. Holly went along with him and threw her head back. Many strands of hair fell over her eyes and the edges of her face. When her head came back to neutral, she flipped her head to the side.

"Are your lessons some kind of secret?" Katara asked, obviously offended in some way by her sarcasm. Holly thought that she looked so motherly. Her hands were placed on her hips and she had a snarly expression. She wanted to know when her grudge against her was going to end. She was starting to wonder if she was purposely pushing her to say something so Aang could come to her rescue. Jealousy was an emotion that she read in her eyes.

"Not at all," she replied innocently. "I'm just a lazy person."

"I don't think we have time for you to take your dandy little time with your lessons, though, so why don't you continue?"

"Someone's a little cranky," Toph mumbled. She plopped to the ground where she was standing and brushed her limbs through the grass that was growing in her favorite element. Katara shot a look at Holly as if she had said it. Holly raised her hands up to her shoulders. "Hey, that wasn't me this time," she said honestly. But she couldn't help but smirk at her blunt behavior, which made Katara suspect that she was lying. Holly could read her accusation, and found it amusing that she had no idea how good of a liar that she could be. She turned her eyes towards Toph, who was doing an excellent job at making it seem like she did nothing wrong.

"Holly," Aang called. Holly turned around. "Can we start again?"

"Light up the flame," she said. Aang knew that she was going to say that and he hated it. Katara was in the courtyard, the very person that was burnt the last time he had fire. They exchanged glances, but she was giving him an encouraging look. "Get in your stance first," Holly added. This time, she wasn't going to be in the stance with him.

He did was he was told, but it certainly wasn't as stiff as Holly's was. He found it interesting that it was almost like a waterbending stance. It wasn't hard to get the stance itself right, but the fact that he had to use it for firebending was nerve-racking. Holly paced around him with wide eyes for a moment, thinking through what Aang's style is and how she was going to work with it.

"Okay, so what I want you to do is take this arm-" her small fingers and thumb wrapped around Aang's wrist that was close to the side of his face. She had to reach well above her head to show him what was expected. "And extend it. . ." She gently pulled it out in front of him. "With your fingertips facing upwords. Remember what I said about the bending part?"

"I think so," he said half-heartedly.

"A'ight, I'll let 'ya try it." She took a good few steps back to where Sokka and Katara were standing. Sokka looked at her in overwhelming astonishment.

"What?"

"You are _really_ short!" Katara and Toph contained their laugh and chuckled. Toph had no room to talk, in Holly's opinion, but she didn't understand that it wasn't the same circumstance. She pushed Sokka with her arm and easily made him fall to the ground. "You're _really_ uncoordinated!" Toph burst out her laughter in the background. Katara nudged Holly in the arm to remind her to keep watch on her student:

_Whish!_ Aang forced much impacted muscle upon his air punch. A small puff of smoke escaped the center of his palm, but no fire. He was ready for any constructive critisism that Holly was going to give. He shut his eyes in embarrassment in front of the world's greatest firebender. Holly's words were especially unexpected.

"That was good! Tha' was a good start!" Katara gave her a look that she couldn't believe that she was serious. "You chanelled the source of your fire through yourself, but the only problem you had was getting it to pass through your skin that encloses you. When you're in your early stages of your training, you'll have to get used to a new breathing pattern that will easily allow you to pass the flames through your pores."

"A new breathing pattern?" he asked.

"You have to use your body and breath as a form of guidance." Holly stood directly in front of Aang and pointed to his heart. "This is your physical source for firebending. So whatever arm you choose to use in combat, that will be the way to guide it by focusing your energy on that side. You with me?"

Aang nodded, but he was honestly unsure. "You can let me know if you're confused, I know I don't make sense half the time words come out of my mouth."

"Why don't you just show me what you mean?" he suggested.

Holly has been trying to avoid demonstrating anything purposely. She was also paranoid of burning anyone with her fire, but she had more of a reason to be. She was under much pressure when she was back in the desert, so she wasn't as worried about burning anyone because most of her energy was focusing on the mobsters.

"Everyone needs to stay back, a little," Holly warned. She waited for Sokka, Katara and Toph to sit at the back of the courtyard so Holly could take center. "Don't watch the fire, Aang, watch my breath and body movements."

Aang nodded, not focusing on his teenager hormones, and watched her get in her stance. She moved less then Toph did in her earthbending stance, but then the way her arms were located it looked more connected with waterbending. Holly's breath was like an airbender. When she performed a simple punch in the air, he witnissed something strange happen with the way her body moved. Her muscles tightened up in her abdomen, but the muscles rolled all to one side in such a way to guide her white fire out of her arm, which perfectly combusted a few inches away from her palm and dissappeared before it harmed anyone. It was as though the fire _was_ her breath because it was so perfectly aligned with her exhale. That must have been the new breathing pattern. He had to match his breathing with his guidance.

"That just answered all of my questions," Aang said with his eyebrows raised.

"What just happened with your pulse?" Toph asked. Her palm was placed in the grass, even though her performance was over.

"It's complicated. . . it was the source thing I was talking about before you guys got here," she explained, not bothering to turn herself around again. She sensed that Aang still had his eyes on her, but she was fixed on something else. The hallway that went all the way to the back of the mansion had a visible light at the end, and that visible light was the rest of the outdoors. Out of curiosity, she zoomed in farther to see what it was like on the other side. She went so far deep that she saw past a small meadow and a row of trees. She spotted a puff of smoke coming from behind one of those trees.

"Holly, are you okay?"

She focused her eyesight back to normal. A terrible headache was followed, but it was worth it to find out that there was somebody hiding in the distance. She massaged the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly. "Yeah, I'm fine, but can you guys just excuse me. . . for a second? I don't think I feel too good." Holly stretched the truth, but it wasn't a complete lie, and so it was believable.

"Uh. . . okay, I'll be waiting right here," Aang said with a confused expression.

Holly used to her legs to a great effort. It was almost like they were back to normal. She felt like running again. It was something that she hasn't done in years, but she knew that it would be stupid. Her legs might still be beyond repair, and she would be seen from her brushing against the tall grass and cattails in the meadow. She payed no attention to her surroundings in the back of the mansion. Her eyes glowed in the dark hue in the hallway, and she was glad that no one was there to see them.

She reached the meadow. The sharp edges of the grass brushed past Holly's skin, but it was never broke. She breathed constant smoke that billowed out of her nostrils like a dragon. She allowed her palms to feel the grass with her smoking hands to kill the life inside. When she exited the meadow, she was completely exposed.

There was a kettel cooking a type of tea above a calm firepit next to one of the tree trunks. The sound of boiling liquid was the only sound that she could hear, and all that she could smell was a very strong aroma of exotic scents that she couldn't recall.

A man well into his sixties appeared in the distance. He was wearing prison clothes that were exactly like the ones Holly wore, and in the same condition. His gray and white hairs were just as shaggy as her's was, but much longer. He was in terrible condition, but was built like crazy. He looked almost exactly like Mainyu, only much larger and more intimidating. And he certainly looked like a mobster to someone like Holly. She acted out of fear.

"Hello, young traveller, you-"

Holly stomped on the ground, representing an earthbender, and the fire from the pit shot up in the air like a water geyser. When it became as tall as the tree beside it, she exhaled as much air from her lungs as she could, representing an airbender, and forced the flame to crash into white waves towards the man in the distance. The man took in her life-threatening flames and turned it into his own. He swirled it around him a few times, but he didn't throw it back at her. He simply let it go into the fresh air.

"Please! I do not want to fight you!" the man pleaded. Holly didn't take the time to figure out wether he was telling the truth or not. She was too blinded with defending herself from the sick mobsters that took advantage of her and ruined her life. The addrenaline that pumped through her veins transformed into static electricity that surrounded her, but she held her fire. She wanted to wait for his next move.

"Holly!" Aang's voice called from behind her. He was sprinting to her aid, assuming that she was hurt in some way. He skidded to a halt when he reached the clearing. "Whoa. . ." he stared at the protective lightning that was in sync with her breath.

"Go back to the mansion, Aang, I wanna get rid of this sick son of a bitch!"

"Who?"

"I am not here to cause any trouble, Avatar Aang! She is dillusional!"

Aang had to squint his eyes to see who was talking to him. He saw the man that Holly was attacking over her shoulder, and he couldn't believe who he was seeing.

"Iroh?"

"You know him?" Holly asked. She was finally starting to have second thoughts on her judgemental decision.

"Don't attack him, Holly, he's on our side!" he yelled.

Holly turned around. Aang was telling the truth, and now she was humiliated. She felt her body beginning to shake. The smoke that she was breathing was uneven. ". . . You sure?" She wanted to be sure. If he was a mobster, then she won't have hezitation.

"I'm sure."

* * *

**This was the first time I've ever written about Iroh before. He seems much too dificult to write dialouge for and stuff like that, but now that I got a good idea about what his role is, then I think I can make it fit. Thanks for the tip Sarge619 :D**


	21. The Great Spirit of Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**So now that Iroh is gonna meet the gaang, there's gonna be a clash between him and Holly on what curriculum is fit for Aang. Holly and Iroh are both the best at their form of firebending, but they're completely different. Kinda hard to explain, but hopefully I'll do a good job at writing it :P**

* * *

Holly didn't know what to say. The innocent man named Iroh looked relieved, but he also looked dissappointed at the damage she had caused to the nature around them. Her white fire killed the entire area to black ash, and so were the sides of the tree trunks and the edges of their leaves. Holly allowed herself to stand up straight to look less threatening. She was the one who was shaken up the most.

"I apologize if I appear threatening to you, friend of Avatar Aang. I am a simple refugee that is looking for a safe haven."

Aang flinched confusingly. Wasn't that her last name? He never connected the two terms together until now, since the sound of the word and the sound of her name have been altered.

Holly thought that the spirits were playing with her feelings. If Iroh would have shown up to her life a good few years ago, then he would be invited into her mob. The mob was _originally_ a safe haven for lost firebenders, such as himself.

". . . You mine as well be a mobster, then, Iroh. But you won't find a safe haven 'round here. Try lookin' in the desert across the ocean. I'm sure they'd love someone like you to join 'em." The blank look on Iroh's face was another clue that Holly's accusations were off. She was choosing to not determine his honesty.

"I am afraid that I don't know what you are talking about."

Holly paced from side to side in front of Iroh, while Aang sat back and watched, not wanting to get between two of the greatest firebenders. His curious eyes rolled around Holly's pacing body. Her hips moved along with her struggling legs that supported her own build.

"Are you familiar of the Haven organization?"

Iroh stroked his long, gritty beard in thought. ". . . No, I'm afraid not."

"So this is the first time you have been secluded from the fire nation, I suspect?"

"You are correct. My younger brother's code of laws are growing in corruption each and every day. Upon realizing what a tragedy it would be for the world to experience Sozin's comet, I chose to help the avatar about a month previous, and the fire nation threw me in jail for betrayal." Iroh's explination was sincere, but Holly wasn't stupid. She listened with her eyes, rather then her weakened ears, and analyzed it all in her mind.

"You are the Fire Lord's brother. . . what inspired you to break out?"

"I wasn't intending on doing so until the comet has arrived, but unfortunately, I had to change my plans. . ." He paused for a moment. Holly's piercing eyes was definately a surprise to him. He has never seen eyes like her's in his life, but he remembers learning of the significance of _pure_ golden eyes. She is truly a blessed firebender.

"Not only am I the Fire Lord's brother, but I am also Prince Zuko and Princess Azula's Uncle. They have gone missing, and nobody in the fire nation has been able to retrieve them. It is my duty to find them."

Holly debated on wether she should inform him on their whereabouts or not. She was still giving off the impression that she hated Iroh and had no trust in him. But she knew in her heart that she has been defeated at her own judgement. It was only fair to tell him the truth.

"The fire nation is telling you lies. They know exactly where they are."

"You have seen them?" It was more like a statement. It was such a coincidence for the first person he runs into will know where he can find his nephew. He would spare of Azula's life, despite all else. It would be cruel to save Zuko and leave Azula.

"They picked me up in their little airship a couple weeks ago. We mingled a bit, I shook up their nerves, ate some food, and left. That wasn't the jist of it, though: Your newphew and niece actually chased our asses," she gestured towards her and Aang, "a couple o' days later, all the way to Haven City. Now, I have more things against Azula then Zuko, she was the one who ordered them all in the city of sick mobsters. She was there to capture Aang, we were there to get our friends back, and we managed to survive the battle." Holly squared her shoulders. "We were the first ones to mainly defeat a handful of mobsters, including the leader, escape, live and tell the tale."

"Are you implying that I am too late?" he asked desperately. His entire face fell and his eyes sunk miserably.

"Judging by Azula's attitude. . . yeah, she's got no chance in the mob." Holly had to try hard not to laugh. "As for the other one, Zuko. . . I don't wanna make it official that it's too late."

"There is a chance for my nephew?"

"Oh yeah," she concluded with a reassuring nod. "Just consider him absent for now."

* * *

He slipped into his penthouse just when the sun was beginning to set. He shut the door right behind him and leaned against his front door. He was so close to not making it on time without being seen. He breathed a few relieving sighs and closed his eyes to calm himself down. It was a huge risk for him to stroll through the city with the kind of reputation that he had. If he was ever spotted by the leader, then Mainyu would be the last face that he would ever see.

"Who goes there!"

A guy that looked like he was around the same age popped into his foyer from one of his hallways. He had too many cuts and bruises across his skin to count, but the one slashed on the side of his face was the one that stuck out the most. His dark hair hung over his amber eyes, and it was covered in exhausting dirt and sweat. There was a malnourishment tone to his body. His quick reactions made it seem like the mobsters abused and tortured him. He was shaking in his own firebending stance like he was in his own house.

"Who the _hell_ are you and who the _fuck_ gave you the idea that you can just walk into my house?" Chris asked him unbelievably. They were about the same height with the same build, but he was in better condition. He did not feel like he was in any danger. The other young man stepped back in fear.

". . . My name is Prince Zuko, heir to the fire nation throne."

"Are you tryin' to hide from 'em too?"

Zuko lowered his fists. He wanted to say something in reply, but no words could escape his dry throat.

"Look, man, I know exactly what you're goin' through. If anyone sees that I'm still here, then I'm dead," he explained. No one has literally told him so, but he knew that it was true. Mainyu wanted to kill him since the first day that they met. But the feeling was mutual.

"How can I trust you?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking the questions?"

"What kind of questions?"

Chris put his hand to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let's go sit down first. We gotta find out how to get the hell outta here."

* * *

Holly couldn't _believe_ that Aang was inviting him to spend the night along with our gaang. She hated how the two of them clashed, and she already gave herself a bad reputation. Now, she has to finish her lesson with Aang with him observing. She was expecting to there to be problems. Holly was taught how to firebend differently then those who are a part of the fire nation. And Iroh's wise appearance probably meant that he was going to be right more then she would be.

The three of them made their way back to the courtyard, where Sokka, Katara and Toph were in the same place as where Holly left them. Sokka lifted his head up to get a closer look at the man following Holly and Aang.

"_Iroh?_ Is that _you?_" Upon his word, the three of them stood up to greet him. Toph felt the familiar vibrations of the man she ran into when she ran away from camp about a month ago. She felt her own face lightening up when she sensed his presence.

"Greetings, friends of the avatar. I apologize for running into you all at such an inconvenient time-" Holly crossed her arms and huffed poutingly. "But I only ask for one night with everyone in this humble mansion. I have a long journey ahead of me that I have to fulfill, but I require a night to ready myself."

"Oh, well I'm sure that it won't be a problem, there's tons of empty bedrooms you can stay in," Katara suggested to him kindly.

"Thank you, young waterbender. Your kindness is greatly appreciated," Iroh complimented by bowing respectfully.

"Well, I still have to finish my firebending lesson with Holly, but you're welcome to watch with Sokka, Katara and Toph," Aang said suggestively. Iroh nodded once, and made his way to the edge of the courtyard like he was sitting in a front row seat. He sat in a meditive position and paciently waited for Holly and Aang to begin their training. Holly rolled her eyes before pulling herself to the center of attention.

"Okay, get back in your stance like last time," she directed. "Remember my word on keeping a steady pattern of breath."

Aang nodded calmly and got in his usual stance. He tried to have confidence in himself. He needed to master this element before he confronts the Fire Lord. It determines the fate of the world.

He was successful. A rather large flame flew in the air in front of his palm, but he didn't know how to control it yet. Holly threw her head to the side before his fire burned her face. When she leaned to one side, she raised her right arm to pull his flame back alongside her inhale. Sokka and Katara gasped. After the flame died, Aang fell silent. He thought that he did something wrong.

She regained her balance and resituated herself in front of her pupil.

"I am so sorry," Aang apologized. "I-"

"Sorry?" Holly asked, her lips turning into a smile. "Aang, that was awesome! I didn't think you'd get it that fast!"

"Really?" he asked. "Are you sure that I didn't do anything wrong?"

"Well, it wasn't perfect, of course. You still gotta work on your control, but you've made it a long way," she assured.

"Shouldn't you have taught the avatar control before he begins firebending?" Iroh interrupted.

"He needs to learn how to firebend in of itself before he can control it. How can you learn how to control fire if you can't conjure it yourself?" Holly's answer was quick and whitty. It was like she knew that Iroh was going to interrupt her. She knew exactly what she was doing by her standards.

"One has to learn to control their own fire within. That is the first lesson in basic training methods." Iroh went by the book when it came to teaching firebending, just like he did with his nephew. He had all of the stances, movements, spars, and anything else that someone could think of to become a better firebender.

"I've already told him the two sources of fire that he could use before we started, and I made sure that he's aware of how to use them properly."

"Two sources?" he asked. "I apologize if I am taking up your time in this lesson, but I must tell you that I am only familiar of one source and once source only for firebending."

"Well then it's great to know that you're really not as great of a firebender as you look-"

"You must not be implying that you are using your own pulse as a source of firebending! That is very dangerous and life-threatening, and it should not be trifled with!" Iroh spoke as if he was concerned for Holly's safety. "There are other ways to create fire when you are a master such as yourself."

Holly gritted her teeth, her head lowered to the ground. Aang saw the familiar signs of Holly getting ready to explode. Both of her fists clenched together so tightly that they turned as red as a rose. He thought that she was going to attack Iroh for speaking up during her lesson, but that was all that she did for a while. Holly was experiencing flashbacks of when Mainyu would critisize her style of firebending. Frankly, Mainyu was a hyppocrite because he uses the same source that Holly does. That was where she got it from. Iroh was certainly not as brutal as Mainyu because he was being truthful and acted like he actually cared. That was something that Holly chose not to see.

She lifted her head up. Aang throught that she was going to continue with her lesson the way that Iroh said. Instead, she didn't say a word to anybody, and she didn't make eye contact with anybody. She began to walk herself back inside the mansion.

"Where are you going?" Aang asked, although he found out quickly that his words were futile.

* * *

Iroh has searched and searched around the mansion for Holly so that they could talk about what happened. He found it necessary to find some middle ground with her and apologize for speaking out of turn. But he didn't find her in any of the rooms. He checked them all at least three times, he checked the hallways, the closets, the cupboards in the kitchen - anything that was large enough to contain a small human being like her. He decided after one solid hour that he was going to head back to the gaang so they can help him on his search.

"She's not in any one of the rooms?" Katara asked, forgetting about her grudge against Holly. She hasn't forgotten about their connection that they still shared.

"I have checked every one at least three times. She is nowhere to be seen! I can't believe that I brought this upon her. . ." Iroh sighed.

"She couldn't of gone far. It's not like she has any place to go," Sokka said with a shrug.

"Are you kidding me? Holly can fly with her white fire faster then I can on my glider! She could be anywhere on this island!" Aang stressed.

"Okay, freaking out about it isn't going to make finding Holly any easier. I think the quickest way to find her is if we all split up," Sokka said demandingly.

"I got dibs to be with Sokka!" Toph called out from behind the small gathered crowd.

"I guess that I could go with Aang," Katara hinted innocently, trying to make mutual eye contact with him.

"Actually, Katara, I think that you should go with Iroh. . . I think I'm gonna try and look for her on my glider." Aang scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't want to intentionally sound like he wasn't interested, but he wanted to what's best for finding Holly. Without her, he would have no firebending teacher. And he couldn't help but add in his mind that he cared for her at this point.

"Oh. . ." Katara was slightly crestfallen. "I guess that'll be okay." She rubbed the edge of her shoulder and began to twirl her long brown hair around her finger as a distraction.

* * *

_Sokka and Toph_

Sokka asigned themselves to check the edge of the island where they first arrived with Appa. It was quite relaxing, in Sokka's opinion, to be strolling through the beaches of Ember Island under the setting sun. The evening tide was just beginning to creep up on the sand, bringing up many exotic shells and oysters. It was nice to take such a relaxing walk to get away from everything that's been happening lately. It was starting to get hard on focusing on finding Holly after a while.

Toph, on the other hand, was only as calm as she was because she got to be with Sokka. Her vision was extremely blurred when walking over sand, and it reminded her greatly of the dry desert that surrounded Haven City. She kept stepping on sharp rocks and shells because of that blurred vision, and what was even worse for her, is that the edge of the ocean's waves were touching her feet, too. The salts that were in the ocean water were irritating all of her minor cuts that covered the bottom of her rough feet.

"So. . ." Toph began, trying to start a conversation.

"Can you believe that she just walked away like that?" Sokka's topic choice was of Holly, which didn't surprise her, since nothing else was going on.

"Well, in a way, I can kind of relate," Toph admitted. "I sure wouldn't like it if some other old earthbender walked up to me when _I_ was teaching Aang and told me that I was doing everything wrong. I know what it's like to want independence."

"I don't know, Toph. I don't think Iroh would interrupt Holly like that about firebending unless he was serious."

"Even if Holly _was_ using some kind of dangerous source for her firebending, I don't think she would ever teach Aang the same thing. I was there when she told him that he doesn't deserve to learn how to learn some of the things that she knows."

"Maybe she doesn't deserve it, either."

* * *

_Katara and Iroh_

Katara and Iroh decided to check the landscapes that surrounded the deserted mansion. There were plenty of hiding spots that she could have been in around the edges of the walls or within any of the tall grasses surrounding it. The sun was hiding just below the tops of the trees, and the clouds above it were the colors orange and pink. The fresh air was definately something that she missed while being in that dry desert for so long. She took in an extra deep breath every now and then to calm herself down.

"I can't believe she just attacked you like that just because of the way you looked," she said surprisingly.

"I admit, that she could have handled the situation differently, but I do not want to hold her actions against her. We are all human beings, and therefore, we are all going to judge one time or another. One who claims that they do not judge anybody is very unwise."

"I think that I judged her that first day we met. . ." Katara admitted. "But we've all been through so much, already, and I didn't want any of us to get hurt again."

The two of them turned a corner and began strolling the backyard of the mansion by the edge of the meadow. They crossed the scorched path of ash where Holly destroyed the meadow's grasses.

"There is absalutely nothing wrong in being protective of the people you love. I think that if you looked a little harder, then you will start to realize that you are not that much different than Holly. I do not think that she is a bad person. I believe that she is lost."

"Honestly, I don't blame her for being the way that she is. It's just hard to cope with someone like her when her own people captured us all," she said. "She can be really scary sometimes."

"Ah, yes, I will admit that witnissing white fire for the first time was truly a great shock to me. I didn't think that the legends were actually true."

"There are legends?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, yes, of course. Many people have never heard of them because the legend has grown so old and out-dated. But I was lucky enough to learn about the fire's qualities by a dragon long ago when they were not extinct. This dragon's name was Ren, and he is one of the few spirits who have lived since almost the beginning of time. He said that the first spirit to ever be a firebender was equipped with white fire, and he said that it was because she was granted the power from the benders of the light within. The flames are considered to not only be the hottest and the most powerful that time has ever been given, but it is also supposed to be a blessing that symbolizes The Great Spirit of Fire."

"Do you mean to say that it means that Holly's really some kind of. . . blessed fire spirit?"

Iroh chuckled. "Yes, something like that."

* * *

_Aang_

Aang felt relaxed to finally being able to glide in some fresh air for once. He didn't know how Holly survived living in such a dry desert all of her life, because he was sick of it after the first day. His first reaction to Holly's actions was that it was immature of her to walk away just because Iroh wanted to express his opinions. He understands that he isn't he one teaching him, but the situation could've been handled differently. Now, he is only concerned. The last time Holly ran away from them, she ended up ruining her skin even more by ripping her piercings out herself. She could be capable of anything, this time. That really scared him.

He strained his eyes even harder at the ground below, but it was hard to see anything with all of the trees and bushes in the way. The trees became so thick that it turned into a forest of green. Nothing was physically possible to see through all of the leaves at his height, so he decided to check out the forest on foot. There wasn't really any place to safely land without getting attacked by sticks and branches. After lowering himself to being just above one of the trees, he shut his glider and slipped through.

It was like it was already night time. Barely any sunlight was peering through the numerous leaves that englulfed every branch available. It was hard to see anything in the forest he stood in. There wasn't any lush grass beneath his feet because there was such a lack of sunlight. It was purely dry soil. Long dark roots surrounded every tree trunk, and it gave him the feel that every tree was connected, just like the trees back at the swamp, except there was much less water.

He suspiciously began do walk down a wide trail of nothing but large tree trunks and roots. It sounded much too quiet for his liking. How was he supposed to find Holly in a place like this?

* * *

_Holly_

Holly fell asleep. She knew by stressing over everything was not going to solve her problems. She just needed to get away a bit before she causes any permanent damage. Ending an innocent man's life before she realizes it wasn't something she was really wishing upon herself. Iroh seems much more qualified to teach Aang firebending then herself, but she knows that Iroh is going to leave in the morning anyway, so she decided to not leave for good.

Holly has always liked sleeping. She only likes to sleep because she loves to dream. Dreaming has no limits and you can be in your own little world where all of your wishes come true. It's one of her clean ways to go to her happy place. She gave up on drugs a long time ago, but she would still be tragically spiraling out of control if it wasn't for Chris. Not only did he save her life from Austain, but he also helped her get rid of her addiction before it was too late. He was the one that told her to dream about him when times got tough. He told her to think about the good times that they have shared and think about all of the good that she's doing for the world in helping the avatar. Holly missed him so much that it was hurting. He was the only person on the planet that had genuine feelings for her. She felt like no one else in her life gave a damn. Chris was always her solid ground in telling her that what she is doing is right - in telling her that she is worth something in this world to somebody. Holly is losing that sense of self confidence without him.

* * *

_Aang and Holly_

Finally, he has found her, nuzzled up against a tree trunk on her side with her eyelids gently closed. Why would she be sleeping in a place like this? At first, he wanted to just carry her back to camp so that she can sleep more peacefully, but he was afraid of something not settling too well with Iroh, or maybe even Katara if he didn't talk to her first.

Aang knelt down next to Holly's sleeping body. Her whole waist was covered in dirt from laying all over it, and it took the shimmer away. His hand was so close to touching her curvy waist. . . this time, he decided to nudge her shoulder a bit. He did his best to avoid what he really wanted. He whispered her name a few times, but she barely budged.

He stopped nudging her bare shoulder around. Her skin was even softer then it looked, and the warmth was definately a comfortable temperature. It made him want to cuddle up and fall asleep next to her.

As carefully as possible, he slid his arms under Holly's back and legs, and he couldn't help but notice something weird about the feel of her legs above both of her knees. She was still wearing the stretchy tight pants that she found in Haven City, only she ripped them up to about where her calf was. It felt extremely bumpy and grotesque, like there were lines and dents that traced them.

They were scars.

* * *

**Tell me if the story Iroh told was cheesy or not, seriously lol. Idk wether to have Iroh and Holly talk before he leaves or what.. but I guess I'll think of something. But I'm pretty proud of myself of coming up with the idea of teaming up Zuko and Chris :P What do you think?**


	22. The Second Source

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I'm sure once I get this uploaded, The Last Airbender movie will already be released into theaters. I seriously have to take the time to say that I have been excited for this day to come for over a year now. I was so dissappointed after the show ended a few years ago, but now I definately have something to look forward to for the next few years or so. I'll be on vacation for two weeks, and hopefully I'll be seeing it down there :D**

Aang stared at Holly's legs for longer then he thought. He was mesmorized by the sight of them, but when his hands brushed across the backs of her thighs, it was a different story. Who could do such a thing? Was it the mobsters? But then, how could one last a second with her without being brutally defeated? It seems like these scars are fairly new, but what man is capable of a talent as great as her's to leave a mark this large?

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end uncomfortably. He slowly rolled his eyes to meet Holly's, who clearly was awake ever since he arrived. She looked at him. He couldn't tell wether she was feeling confused or violated by his actions. He wanted to apologize, but no words could escape the gawked mouth of his. She had him in his arms. So why didn't he take the level of intensity further before she retaliates? He's been wanting to do this ever since they came face-to-face, while he was surrounded by her angelic fire the first day they met.

The only face that she was physically looking at was Aang's, but the only face that ran through her mind was the young man she loved: Chris. She felt his touch again a fair few days ago, but besides that, it has been years since she has felt the attention of love - though, in this case, it is considered miserable lust. She didn't care what it was anymore, because all that she wanted was a significant other to help her get back on her feet. This is why she did nothing to stop him. Instead of jumping right into anything, she wanted to begin the situation with an explination. Holly mouthed three words slowly and clearly with pain in her brilliant eyes: "_I was raped._"

Aang's emotions came crashing down in his mind. He didn't want to believe it. Who could be so sick? Who would be so insecure with themselves that they took their anger within them to an innocent young woman? To take advantage of a woman is the lowest crime that he has ever heard of. And to leave them with these conditions was simply horrible. It is the rapist's fault for disabling Holly to walk properly.

"The scars were almost completely gone after a few years, but then I almost died in an explosion when I was twelve. Now, they're not goin' anywhere. . . They got a lot worse."

"Who did this to you?" Aang asked. His mind didn't even realize that he was stroking her legs. His fantasies and anger towards the rapist clouded up his judgement. Holly didn't mind. She needed a good distraction.

"His name was Austain."

"Was?" He noticed her use of past-tense.

". . . You remember that guy that I. . . kinda randomly kissed back at the mob?" she asked uneasily. "He saved me from him. That's why we have such a deep relationship."

At the word "relationship," his hands stopped, and so did Holly's subconscious excuse. She knew that it was wrong to allow such an easy entrance. His concern for her well-being was enough to give her a small nudge of confidence.

"I feel like we sort of have to have this bond because of our history together. It's true, in some ways, but I know that I can never be disloyal to him. You must understand-"

"I think I do understand," Aang concluded. He pulled his hands away from her and sat with his legs crossed in front of her. Holly propped herself up by her elbow resting in the dirt. "Katara's face was the first thing I saw when I woke up from the iceberg. I think it was something like. . . love at first sight, because now my mind is set on having her as the only girl I can love."

"If you're doubtin' that your feelings are mutual, then you're oblivious. Katara couldn't make it any more obvious that she's in love with you. I wish that she could just admit it so she can quit acting like a jealous bitch all the time. . ." Holly didn't realize what she had actually said until the words came out. She forgot what happened the last time she insulted her. Aang stared at her in disbelief, but the damage was already done.

"I didn't mean to say it like that." Holly slapped herself in the face embarrassingly. "I just think that it's annoying when she's always on my case about everything and suspects me that we're gonna, like, fool around or somethin' behind her back. You can't deny that she's taking everything as far as that!"

Aang maturely brushed her mistake to the side. He turned his head, not wanting to look at her, and said, "I think she's just confused right now."

"And she will be for a long time." She caught his attention once more, the redness to her cheeks dissolved back to her golden skin tone. "I think she just needs someone right now. It's not a fun feeling to think that you're all alone. She needs some reassurance."

"Are you talking about Katara, or are you talking about yourself?"

"Hmph," she pouted. She moved into the position of hugging her knees before his eyes. "I have a boyfriend."

"Did he treat you well?"

"Don't judge our relationship together based off of my condition. All of that is on me, and it's not goin' away anytime soon. Chris was the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Was," he reminded with a quick nod. He didn't intend on having such an effect on her emotions. Holly's expression sunk even lower then it was. Her eyes fell to ponder upon the dark forest floor.

". . . We only grew apart because I set off to find you and teach you firebending."

The two grew silent. Aang convinced himself that it was his fault they they aren't together anymore. It was one more thing added to his list of why he doesn't prefer to be the avatar. After he let his mind wander for a few moments, he remembered why he came to find Holly in the first place, and by himself.

"So, why did you walk out on us earlier?"

Holly sighed. "I can't handle people that are disrespectful like that." Aang couldn't argue with that. He awaited for a better explination. "I don't even know what the hell he was talking about, anyway. It's not like I was teaching _you_ the second source."

"Why is it so dangerous?" he asked curiously.

"The second source is meant for very experienced firebenders that have took the time to meditate and realize the pure element that is being conjured. Basically, firebenders that know what they're dealing with. If a firebender with no full potential meddled with its own pulse, then they're just askin' for a trip down suicide lane. In order to use the second source, you gotta know how to transform lightning into flames, which is much more difficult then going from flames to lightning (which is supposevely the correct way for a basic firebender)." Holly took a deep breath and continued. "So when this - mediocre firebender, persay, pops his fist, the small pulse of electricity will be uncontrollably forced throughout the entire body. Since a human body is seventy-five percent water, and water is the biggest conductor of electricity, the electricity would fry the blood, veins and arderies, and organs - which includes the heart."

"Okay. . ." Aang began, recollecting her detailed explination in his head. "So, how do 'experienced firebenders' figure out how to use the second source _without_ frying themselves accidently on their first try? Do they just hope to the spirits that they'll succeed on their first try?"

"You really gotta be dedicated to the fire spirit in order to have faith that she'll grant you the power," she shrugged.

Chris lead the troubled prince into his living room, down the hallway from his foyer. There was a lit fireplace at the far wall in front of him, followed by two cushioned chairs and a sofa in the middle that was facing it. A long and dark wooden table was placed between them, where a couple of filled trays of ash were placed. Something striked Zuko right away when he walked in. There was a painted portrait of Chris and a familiar young woman, both genuinley smiling with Chris's arm around her curved waist. Zuko stepped his foot rudely on a plain red rug that covered the area of the living room. "Who is that?"

"Who's that?" he glanced at his prized remembrance and shot back at him. "That's my girl, dumbass. What's it to ya?"

"I just thought I've seen her before, that's all!" he shot back defensively. After taking another look at the girl in the portrait, he was for sure that it was Holly Wilson, or from what he's heard recently, Holly Haven.

"_Where did you see her?_" Chris shook Zuko, extremely demanding, with his strong hands on his shoulders. His strong muscles flexed tensively. "You didn't do anything to hurt my girl, _did you?_"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, I didn't, I sware!" Zuko pleaded innocently, throwing his arms as far as he could up to his head. He almost let it slip that it was his sister's idea to capture her and hand her over to his father, and he was glad that he stopped himself before he told him. "Just let me explain!"

Chris gave him a dirty look as if saying, _I still don't trust you_, and let go of him.

Zuko catched a sigh of relief. "My sister, our crew and I found her in the desert about a week ago and took her into our airship. I thought she was unconscious or something when my - I mean - _her_ men first took her in, but then she just woke up out of nowhere and killed everyone on board accept for my sister and I!"

"Holly doesn't just kill people. Your men must've threatened her," Chris spat.

". . . Under my sister's orders," he admitted, trying to leave himself out of fault.

Chris had no feelings accept hurt when he found out that she was simply threatened, but he wanted to hear the rest of his story. "And then what happened?"

"After she spared Azula and I, she, uh, ate a whole bunch of food in our kitchen, or something, and then she vanished."

Chris nodded. "Is that all?"

"Well, no. . . A few days later, after I went back for a new set of men and supplies, we found her again late in the morning in the desert with the avatar. It looked like they stayed the night there. My sister ordered our crew to chase them down so we could capture the avatar for our father, but we couldn't keep up with her. She can fly."

"Hehe, the fire nation doesn't have the badass technology after all, huh?"

Zuko knew that he was doomed. He felt like he was digging his hole deeper and deeper every time words fell out of his mouth.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Aang interrupted, waving one of his hands in the air, and using the other to massage his temples in thought. "So, every single time that you have ever firebended, it's been from that second source? You put your life on the line _that many times_?"

"No, Aang, it's different for me." Holly tried to make it sound like she wasn't included to a normal human being's standards. She seems to be the only person that doesn't think that she counts for those.

"How is it different?" he asked. "I mean, white fire seems dangerous enough for someone, but this is just insane! What if you were killed the first time you tried it?" Aang stood up with widened eyes.

"What's it matter to you?" Holly raised her voice in a defensive matter. She tried to match her angry face with Aang's, but it simply couldn't compete. She stood up and took a step forward. This was a downside of Holly being very short. She was always looked down upon. "Afraid that you won't have anyone else to teach _you_ firebending? Oh, wait, you don't have to worry about that, because you have Iroh! He seems to know a whole lot more tricks up his sleeve that you could learn!"

"I can't believe that you're actually thinking this way!" he yelled. "You actually think that I have no appreciation for you living? The one that was willing to help my friends back in Haven City? And it's not even that, because maybe I sort of care about you!"

"I'm doing fine by myself!"

"Seriously, Holly? What about that one night that you walked off on us back in the desert just to take your piercings out?"

"I had no choice. Toph wasn't willing to help me!"

"Well, if you haven't noticed yet, I am the avatar, which means that I'm an earthbender too. I could've helped you out!"

Holly paced back and forth and shook her head many times in disbelief. She couldn't believe that they were going this far on something that never should have been discussed. They were never going to make it back home soon. The sun was already down, and the moon was rising. Aang made it seem like he was still heated in the conversation, but he was really watching Holly walk in front of him. Her limp wasn't something that could be easily missed.

"Why do you walk on your feet so much if your legs are so damaged?"

Holly shrugged innocently. "I refuse to sit on my ass all day."

"Well, the day is over," he said. "It's actually pretty late. . ."

"All this arguing is making me tired," Holly yawned and stretched her arms randomly. "Wanna just hit the sack here and come back in the morning?"

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. . ." Aang pondered. He looked around the forest, but he really couldn't see much of anything anymore. He could barely see the outlines of the trees surrounding them, and Holly's eyes were the only things clearly visible.

"Oh, come on," she teased. "Afraid of being stuck with me all night? You've done it before."

"No, it's not that," he assured. "It's just - everyone else is expecting us back-"

"They don't gotta worry about us. I'm the greatest firebender in the world, and you're the avatar. I'm pretty sure we're qualified to take care of ourselves for a night." Holly finally stopped pacing and folded her arms in front of her full chest.

Aang sighed. ". . . I guess we could."

Holly smiled, bright and beautifully. "And it's not like you're gonna freeze to death like last time."

"Aang is gone, too? Are you sure? Did you check everywhere?" asked Katara, concerningly.

"He wasn't at the mansion when we got back," Sokka explained. "We didn't check the outside that thoroughly, but we didn't see him anywhere."

"Oh my goodness," Katara panicked, grasping her head desperately for answers. "That must mean they've been captured or something! They must be at the same place. . . I hope they're okay."

"Don't sweat it, Katara," Toph said encouragingly. "Aang's with Holly, the most bad ass firebender to ever live! I'm sure that they're fine."

Iroh stepped in on the conversation politely. "I suggest that we take a break from our search. We will all need our rest if we are going to continue in the morning."

"Do you really think they'll be okay?" Katara asked them all with a terribly worried face.

"Yeah, I agree with Toph on this. I'm sure they will be," Sokka said assuringly. "Now, let's all just pick a room for the night." Everyone nodded to the agreement and all walked back into the deserted mansion. Iroh was the last person to step over the threshold of the mansion, and he couldn't believe what mansion this actually was.

"Do you all realize that we are staying at my younger brother's old house?" asked Iroh.

Katara, Sokka, and Toph froze, not knowing if he was going to say to move to a different location or not.

Instead, the wise old man chuckled and said, "Very clever."

"I'm getting so dirty laying on this forest ground," Holly complained on one side of the tree trunk.

"You should've grabbed your shirt before you walked away from all of us." Aang's voice was tired and quiet, and since Holly wasn't watching his face while he talked, she had no idea what he said.

"What about my shirt?"

"I said that you should've grabbed your shirt before you walked away from us!" he repeated annoyingly.

"Well, _excuse me_ for being part deaf! It's not my fault I almost died in an explosion. . ." She rolled onto her back and looked through the leaves and branches above her.

"Don't try and start a conversation if you know you won't be able to hear my response."

Aang striked a chord so hard in Holly that she felt a shiver of anger. She brought her torso up and slammed her fist on the ground that created a surrounding puff of emitting smoke, which also flew out of her nostrils. Her eyes glowed stronger then before, and there was a potential growl that he heard before she spoke.

"You know what, Aang? Maybe I thought you'd be a little considerate to someone that you care so fucken much about! I can remember telling you before that I'm part deaf, so don't give me any bullshit saying that I never told you! You were just too damn lazy to give me an appropriate response!"

"Maybe if you were never a part of that place then you wouldn't of been in an explosion!"

Holly stood up abrubtly-

"Oh, here you go again, you're just gonna walk away!" Aang bellowed, his voice echoing through the forest. He interrupted many of the critters, and hundreds of glowing insects flew around frantically. A few birds in the tall branches moved to a different location.

"Oh, I'm not walkin' away," she said darkly. "I'm not gonna take this shit anymore." She wiped off any loose twigs or leaves that stuck to her muscled stomach and arms and arched her neck left and right.

"Holly. . ." Aang felt a deep feeling of remorse for working her up. He felt sorry for her to be raised this way. She was raised to believe that all fights were to be settled in rage and violence, and whoever is the last one standing, gets the respect that they long. But he knows thats it's not really respect, if it's out of fear for the winner. Holly was lacking love and attention: something every human being needs to keep sanity.

Aang got on his feet, trying not to look threatening. Holly tensed up, thinking of her love, Chris. It was hurting to miss him this much. It was taking the breath out of her. But she wanted to stay strong and fight, just how she was risen to be - not being allowed to have a real childhood, or being able to go on dates, or spend time with anybody close to her, and not living through the first few years of being a teenager. The only attention she knew about was sex at her age, and her way of standing up to that one thing was to become violent.

Aang walked towards her, but didn't stop beside her. He approached her closer then what she was expecting. Holly was reminded of his comment by looking into his eyes. She had no choice in the matter because she was left with nothing without her parents and sister. She was all by herself at a very young age. Holly felt water build up in her eyes, but no tears fell on the count of her firebending. The feeling of painful rage was heating her up again and evaporating the water.

Aang opened his arms when they were about a foot apart. "Holly, I -"

She punched him. Holly punched him on the side of his jawbone so hard that it cracked out of place and he was thrown off balance. Aang has never been punched this hard _ever_ in his lifetime. When she watched him stumbled across the ground and lean against the tree, she became even more confused then she already was. What did she do that for? Why did she do that if he reminds him so much of Chris? Was it because of what he said, or what happened earlier? Should she wait and see if he's going to strike back, or should she go over and help him? She sobbed in pain, but she still tried to shake it off. She kept her fists out in front of her.

"Don' cry, Holly." Aang's mouth was filled with blood and disabled him to sound the same. She cringed at his kind words when she clearly just punched him in the face. He took his face away from the tree trunk to show off his wound. There was a darkening bruise forming along the side of his jawline with traces of blood dripping from his lips. She could already see that side of his face begin to swell.

"Hit me back," she whispered uneasily.

Aang shook his head instantly.

"Hit me back!" she repeated more loudly.

He shook his head again and frowned with the feeling that was slowly leaving his lips.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry, Aang, I didn't mean to do that, I sware!"

Aang opened his arms again, just like he did before. He couldn't talk without any feeling in his mouth, so he replaced words with gestures. Holly knew what it meant this time, and she embraced him.

He wrapped his arms around Holly's curved waist and nuzzled his head next to her's. Holly's hair was soft, and the numerous layers that her hair had tickled his skin that still had feeling. He took in a big breath through his nose and took in her scent. To him, she smelled like the fresh forest floor that she was laying in, with a hint of something that smelled like ash - as if there were heat that was leaving the pores of her skin and mixing with the air around her. He was surprised to find out that her skin wasn't burning hot, but extraordinarily warm.

He heard the sound of someone rustling through the plants and branches a few trees away. Unless it was a large creature of some sort, he knew that it had to be a person. The blurry shadow was that of a human.

Somehow, a part deaf girl, Holly, noticed the person behind them only a moment later then he did. She turned around and squinted her eyes at the approaching person. Before Holly could acknowledge or greet the person in any way, a long whisp of water came shooting at her. It missed her head by inches as he leaned back as far as she could in the time that she had. Aang took a few steps over to get a better look at, obviously, Katara.

"Katara, what are you doing here?" Aang asked shockingly.

The young waterbender straightened herself out of her defensive mode and put her arms to her sides. Holly snarled when she noticed her water gorgeous opened. "I should be the one asking you that! I -" she gasped. "What happened to you?"

Aang stumbled over his words. Holly examined Katara to get a better advantage in the fight that was going to begin. There were dark shadows under her blue eyes, that means that she isn't fully energized. The change in skin tone means that she has been outside a lot today and was under the sun, which might mean her agility is weak. The expression that is given off from her tells her that she has the strength of will power that might be a disadvantage. She never prefers to compete with waterbenders, and avoids her firebending coming in contact with water as much as she can.

There are usually no circumstances when Holly will take anything from anybody, but if the consequences could be the cost of all of their lives, then she'll take a few splashes for that. And besides, it's not like she doesn't deserve it for punching Aang. . .

Holly expected to be hit with tons of water and thrown to the ground within an instant, but nothing touched her. Aang stood between her and Katara and resisted her to attack. She threw her arms around as much as she could to get out of his grasp, but he didn't let her go. "Katara, just listen to me! It's not her fault!"

"You just think everybody should bow down to you just because you think you're such a god damn hero! You think people should feel sorry for you because of your so-called 'tragic life' in Haven city! You're not a princess, Holly, you're a gangster! A bitch of a gangster!"

Holly's face screwed up, and Katara took her condition for granite. Aang couldn't stop her from telling Holly off, but he kept his arms around her just in case she decided to strike. He looked down at the ground and listened to her harsh words.

"You think you can get away with disrespecting us all by walking away like that? You walked away because you finally have another firebender that might be better then you! It's fact that he's a hell of a lot wiser! And from what he says, I'm starting to think that you shouldn't be teaching Aang at all! I sure as hell don't want him using that 'second source' shit!"

"Katara, she's the only firebender that can teach me!"

"I've already made plans with Iroh," she said to Aang. "All of us are leaving tomorrow with him to find Zuko and Azula in Haven city. I'm thinking Zuko will be the most fit to teach you firebending," she decided, while cracking a smile. Aang couldn't believe what she had just suggested, and neither could Holly. Aang looked at her in the eye.

"_Zuko?_"

**I'm very glad to be back! Unfortunately, I never ended up seeing The Last Airbender, but hopefully I will eventually.. lol. Holly might take a break in the story for a few chapters, but to make up for it, she'll be mentioned quite often while she's gone. I got it all planned out haha, I hope you all enjoy it! :)**


	23. Confliction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**The story could go anywhere from here, but like I do with all of my stories and ideas, I'm just gonna take it as it goes. I have no idea what this chapter will be about! :)**

**(yeah, the jist of everything is planned out, like I said last chapter, but details? No clue.)**

* * *

Holly was smiling. She was amused by what a foolish plan Katara has made up. There were still wet tears gleaming on her tan face, but she was still smiling. She convinced herself that it was understandable that she was acting so hateful towards her for too long. She knows by now that she's struggling to keep her abusement a secret, but she wasn't in the right place to let the information go. But could she possibly manipulate it out?

"You guys? Haven city? Alone? Seriously?" she asked. She wiped the tears off of her full cheeks, then rubbing her fingertips up to her eyelids. She closed her mouth tightly for a moment, letting her mind wander back to that place that was rightfully her's. She hated her mob being _mentioned_ when they all finally got away from there. She hasn't even spent one night away from the mob yet, and there's already talk of going back?

She didn't hear a reply from Katara. It was from Aang.

"Wait. We're not bringing Holly?" Aang asked.

"Why the hell would we bring Holly if she has no purpose anymore?"

"I don't want Zuko as my teacher, Katara! I don't want to go back to Haven city!" he yelled. Holly was going to say something to go ahead with her plan, but Aang might do the job instead. She had a drastic impatient look on her face, while new tears formed under her golden eyes. "I thought Iroh was going to go by himself tomorrow!"

"Yeah, what happened to that, Katara? Did you talk him out of it?" Holly added. She heard her own voice crack more then once, and she tried to act like that never happened. She crossed her arms tightly across her full chest.

"Actually, I thought that it would be a lot safer if we all work together to find Zuko and Azula," she replied.

"Do you know how dangerous that is, Katara?" Aang shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Holly allowed him to take over the argument rather then her. She knew that she wasn't the only one who could figure out why her idea is extrememly deadly. "Holly is the only person we know that can block the mobster's lightning! Iroh can't save us from that!"

Katara's expression went into deep thought. The last thing that she wants is for Holly to come with her to remind her of the traumatic and terrible things that have happened in Haven City. The pain comes back to her everytime she's around, and it was so much worse for her to keep it to herself. She simply cannot handle her being around much longer - especially in Haven City - without telling everyone what truly happened when she was trapped.

". . . We. . . just won't have to get caught by them all, then."

"At least let Holly teach Iroh how to block those attacks, or something!" Aang was running out of ideas to try to convince Katara to not make such a huge mistake. He felt himself panicking. He knew there wasn't much else he could do to stop this.

Katara sighed. "Fine. First thing in the morning, at the crack of dawn."

* * *

Zuko sat back in the dusty sofa that belonged to Chris. His eyes were locked into the fireplace. He felt calmer in the presence of fire. He felt meditated, and when he closed his eyes, he could picture himself in a better place:

_He was at Ember Island, where his family owned a private mansion off the coast of the ocean. He was relaxing under the sun's rays, laying on a reclined chair. He was accompanied by his entire family, and they were whole and normal. His sister Azula was with her friends, Ty Lee and Mai, farther down the beach, playing an intense game of volleyball with another handfull of people. No destructive blue fire was included like the last time they were at the beach. They were all playing a fun and fair game. He heard the calming sounds of giggling and laughter from all of the people occupying the peaceful, sandy and oceanic beach. . ._

_But wait. Something can make this better. He heard the distant sound of someone rustling through the lush grass that was behind him, where all of the houses were sitting. The footsteps came to a stop directly over his shoulder._

_"Do you need anything, son? Your mother has offered to make everyone lunch."_

_He turned his head and looked at his father, Fire Lord Ozai. When their eyes met, his father smirked._

_Zuko smiled back. He got out of his layout chair and stretched. His muscles smoothed out, a few bones cracked, and he inhaled the sweet smell of fresh air. He could use some delicious food made by his mother, Ursa. His dad put a firm grip on his shoulder, and together, they walked back to the beautiful mansion that they called home._

"Zuko!" A low voice shouted. He sounded excited about something, like if he just won a lifetime supply of freedom, but he knew it can't be that exciting.

His eyes flew open in startlement. He was knocked out of his daydream.

"I think I've figured out where your sister is!"

Chris had a stack of extremely old parchment in his hands with ancient writing inscribed across the wrinkled creases. "It says here that any female that intentionally intruds the mafia is kept at the enforcer's headquarter's."

"Where's that?" Zuko asked.

"Uh," he hezitated, thinking deeply. "A guy named Shehr and his friend Bvilo used to be in charge of it, but Holly killed 'em a couple days ago, but I'm pretty sure it's still gonna be in the same spot." He set the stack of papers down on the table in front of the sofa and sat next to Zuko.

"But that means that anyone could be in charge of it!" Zuko realized. "But it's probably more likely to be a dealer, right?"

"Almost every mobster in the city is a dealer, now. I'm one of the few ones left that aren't."

"So how are we going to sneak into that place?" he asked.

"We need to check it out first to see what we're dealin' with before we just barge in there," Chris explained, fixing his own colorful eyes on the fire. "And it's gotta be done in the daytime."

"Isn't it daytime right now?" Zuko twirled his head around his living room, forgetting that there are no windows in his penthouse.

"You wanna jump right into it?" Chris looked at Zuko. He couldn't help himself to not glare at his scar. "Shouldn't we give this a little more thought or something first?"

"I can't wait any longer, Chris! If we wait until tomorrow, we might be too late! We have to do it today!" he urged desperately.

Chris sighed. He dipped his hace in his hands and closed his eyes. "If we do it today then we need to leave now so we have enough time to get to the other side of town."

"Let's go then!" Zuko threw himself off the couch and stood up straight.

"Hold up!" Chris grabbed the sleeve of Zuko's torn red shirt and seized him from running out the door. "You can't just go storming out into the streets like that! If _one mobster_ hears us, then that's the end of us! You have to not make a _sound_ when we're out there! Got it?"

He nodded, and whispered, "Got it."

"Okay. Let's hit it."

* * *

Holly's alarm was the sun's presence. She could smell the fumes the moment that it strikes the earth. She barely got any sleep last night. By the time Aang, Katara and her got back to the mansion, it was already after midnight. Laying in bed, she went over and over how she's going to possibly teach someone like Iroh, who is against the second source, how to redirect the move that kills in one morning. She's an amateur at teaching normal firebending. How is she going to do this?

Nevertheless, she swung her short legs over her bedside and sat at the edge. Only the tip of her toes could reach the wooden floor of the guest room. The sunlight still wasn't strong enough to illuminate her room yet, which gives her time to make her way to the courtyard by the time dawn approaches. She puffed out a series of white smoke before making her way across the room and into the hallway.

Her eyes were droopy and unfocused. She wasn't paying attention to what was around her. She was barely awake. Her golden eyes had no serious glow to it at this time of morning.

She dragged her weight through the hallway, slowly approaching the foyer. All but one doors were closed where everyone else was sleeping. She guessed that Iroh's room was the room with the open door on her right. She walked in gloomily, rubbing her eyes while crossing the threshold, about to let Iroh know that it was time to head to the courtyard.

"Holly?" a rather light voice said. "I need to talk to you."

Being as tired as she was, she thought that it was Aang speaking, and she was annoyed at how many times they run into each other. She opened her tired eyes and focused on the face that was about a foot in front of her. It wasn't Aang.

"Katara?"

"I was going to go outside and find you before you've found Iroh, but I guess you found me first." Her lips curved into sort of a smile. She could tell that she didn't get any more sleep then she did. Dark shadows were formed under her saphire eyes. Her frizzy and tangled hair was tied back behind her to not cause annoyance.

Holly frowned and raised her eyebrows. Was this a dream? "I guess so."

"Here, why don't you sit down?" Katara turned around and pulled up a fancy chair from an old wooden desk that was placed against the side wall. Holly accepted her offer and took a seat in the cushioned and doilied chair. She leaned back and stretched her legs about the wooden floor, her bare heels resting, exposing the bottom of her tiny feet. In the middle of her feet, just below her toes, there were two identical scars that were rather deep, but not very large. It was from redirecting the lightning for so long.

"Uh, do you remember me drinking anything out of the ordinary or something? Did I smoke anything strange before I went to bed last night? Or are you actually being nice to me for once?"

Katara's smile widened and her eyes fell to the ground. She sat down at her bedside and folded her hands over her lap.

"What's up?" Holly asked her abrubtly. She watched her smile turn upside down.

"Keeping everything that happened to me in Haven City is tearing me up inside," she breathed quietly. Her head shook back and forth. She potted the contained tears that were building up in her eyes. "And I know that you haven't been nothing but nice and helpful to us ever since the day we met, but the fact is that you're a mobster. Everytime I look at you. . . those memories come back to me again - and I feel so ashamed-" her voice cracked into a contained sob.

Holly didn't take her explination as any offence to her because she completely understood. In fact, she didn't need the explination, because she already knew why she was acting so much different. She just needed Katara to realize that so she can help her. She allowed her to vent to her before she spoke.

"I feel so ashamed that it happened to me, and I feel so horrible to keep it all bottle up from everyone else. I mean, we're all family and all, but whenever I even think about it I just. . . fall to pieces."

"Lemme tell ya one thing, Katara. What you're doin' here, right now, is about to cost lives!" Holly hissed, leaning over to let her elbows meet her knees. She looked at her in the eye. "I understand what it's like to feel useless, but you're directing your anger in the opposite direction. Bottling up emotions is the most painful way to deal with your problems." Katara scootched back farther in her bed and hugged her knees miserably. "If you wanna rid yourself of living through your abuse repeatedly, then you gotta let it all out-"

"That's what I want to talk to you about," she interrupted. "I want to tell everyone - I've been wanting to tell everyone for a while, but I don't know how to."

. . . Holly stood up.

"Come on," she gestured. Katara stared at her questioningly. "Let's go tell 'em!"

* * *

Holly held her hand out to her. She turned her head away from her offering hand, and reluctantly took it. Holly pulled her off of her bed. She surprisingly felt much more awake when she was back on her feet so suddenly. She watched her limp across the room to the doorway, stop, and turn her head around. "Let's go, Katara," she chuckled. Holly's hint of laughter made her feel more comfortable. She was glad that she still had her by her side after all of the nonsense that she's put her through. Katara walked across her room and passed the threshold along with the most greatest firebender that she has truly ever known.

Chris and Zuko walked side by side of each other down the narrow paths of Haven City. The area was so deadly quiet, that Zuko could feel his own teeth chattering in anxiousness. He knew the consequences if anyone heard of their presence. A few times, he thought he saw a rustling shadow in the distant alleyways that they came across. What if they get caught by one of the mobsters when they check out the headquarters? What if Azula was moved to a different location? What if Azula isn't even there anymore?

Zuko gasped, but he slapped his hand over his mouth before it made any more noise. Chris nudged the front of his stomach to disable him from walking any further. The placed that they stopped at didn't look any more special then the other roads that they have walked through. There was an alleyway from either side of them, and there were numerous rickety-wooden doors lining up against all of the weak buildings. How can he tell which doors are to what rooms?

Chris flicked his head to the left side, where there was a shadowed alley. He heard Chris's feet cruch against the dusty ground towards it, and he nervously followed. As they crept deeper and deeper into the darkeness, he felt himself reaching colder and colder temperatures. It had to just be him, because Chris appeared to be completely and stiffly calm. He stopped in front of the first door they reached. He just stood there. He must be trying to listen for something. . .

He turned around and faced Zuko. "_We're gonna take a look in there,_" he mouthed with no sound. "_Have a stance ready if my guess is wrong._"

Zuko's heart accelerated. He obeyed subconsciously, and waited for Chris to open the messy planks of wood that were bolted to the side of the doorway. . .

He swiftly lifted the latch on the door and swung it open without making it smack the side of the building. He slipped himself into the building, and Zuko quickly followed. The door hit back with enough force to make a distinct sound. Before he could acknowledge that it was his fault, he heard Chris battling with a mobster. The mobster jabbed a blaze of fire to his face, but he blocked it by moving his head to the side, and he seized one hand on the side of his shirt and the other on his pant leg. The mobster was thrown over his head and was smacked onto a wooden table so hard that the legs gave out and the entire thing collapsed. He grasped the side of his body that hit the table furiously and rocked from side to side. Zuko stared at him. He noticed, and he stared back with a frightningly painful look. Chris swung his leg up in the air and slammed his foot against his rib cage-

"What the hell are you doing?" Zuko hissed. "We can't waste our time on this guy, we gotta find my sister!"

Chris stopped his attacks and took a few relieving breaths. "If she's here, then she's probably upstairs. It's where they're. . ." He had to watch what he was saying. If he told Zuko about the prostitution business field of the mob, then he wouldn't be able to focus on getting her back. He simply said, "Kept."

"Let's go, then."

* * *

"So you said Iroh's already up?" Holly asked, while the two opposite benders strolled down the fancy hallway. She contently viewed the fire nation insignia flags that hung from the high tops of the ceilings, and she glanced at a few of the portraits that they passed by. She loved breathing the fresh air that came from the ocean. It cleared her sinuses that have been clogged for so many years from inhaling toxic smoke. It awoke her instantly when the sun peered through the openings in the hallways.

"Yeah, he's already out in the courtyard, but we still have to wake up Aang, Sokka and Toph," she replied. She slowed her speed drastically and stopped next to one of the bedrooms. Holly followed her action.

"Did you, uh. . . heal Aang's face?" Holly asked awkwardly.

"I'll let you and Aang talk. His bedroom is in there," she pointed to the room to the left of her. "I'll wake up Sokka and Toph. They're both a little grouchy in the morning," she smirked.

Holly chuckled. "Okay, we'll meet you guys up in the courtyard," she concluded.

Katara continued to walk down the hall. Holly stood there, gazing at the door that Aang was in. She couldn't believe that Katara was actually letting her do this.

She took a step to the side and faced door. She felt awkward again. Should she knock on the door first? But if he's sleeping, then he wouldn't be able to answer the door.

Holly opened it slowly. She thought that it would make less noise that way, but it actually made it creak very loudly. She saw Aang layed on his back on his bed in the corner of the room. His jaw was healed so well that it looked like she never punched him. The swelling and bruising were gone. When she quickly zoomed her eyesight on his features, she figured out that he wasn't sleeping before she entered - even though his eyes were closed. He pretended to awake when the door creaked by twisting and turning. His eyeslids lifted.

"Holly?"

"You gotta wake up. Everyone's meetin' in the courtyard."

Aang sleepily rubbed his eyes. "Why, did something happen?"

Holly raised her eyebrows. "Yeah." She smiled. "And, uh, Katara wanted us to talk for some reason. . ." she trailed off. Her arms crossed over her full chest and she leaned against the edge of the wall.

Aang sat up in his bed. "Katara and I talked for a while after you went to bed last night. And I think I realized something that I've been trying to figure out for a while now."

"What, that you two like each other?"

He sighed and faked a chuckle. "No. . ."

"What is it then?"

". . . Well, there isn't really any other way that I can say this besides to just say it: I realized that. . . these feelings that I've been having about you. I know they had some sort of meaning to it from the start, but after a while they've been getting hard to ignore, and-"

"No, no, no, no. . ." she repeated and repeated to herself. Her head shook back and forth and lowered straight to the ground. "Don't do this to yourself, Aang, you can't be in love with me! You're supposed to love Katara!"

"I love her, too. I love both of you the same, and it's so confusing. . ."

Holly never thought of Aang this way until now. It was conflicting her. She didn't want to admit that those feelings were mutual. Her heart is already taken. She can't be with Aang behind Chris's back. She just can't. But at the same time, her attention and lust would finally be fulfilled for the first time in years. Would it really be worth it to take the risk?

"I'm sorry, Holly. I shouldn't of ever said anything." He stood up and reached for his dresser. She didn't even realize that his shirt was off until he walked towards his dresser. She could sense the humiliation over his body by the way it moved and the colors that it changed. His pulse was racing.

"Are you sure that what you're feeling right now isn't just. . . lust?" she asked in a lighter tone. "I know that it's been something I've been lacking for a while. I know for sure that I can deal with that."

Aang froze. His shirt fell to the floor.

"If you're not sure, then I know a test that you can do that'll conclude your lust for me."

He turned his head towards her. "What kind of test?"

"Kiss me."

Holly could feel Aang's powerful electricity that was running through his bloodstream. She felt the fire inside her jump in excitement along with his, as though they were connected. Was her heart with him, too? Has it been with him without her even realizing it until now? Once he kisses her, she'll be able to know for sure.

Aang did not retaliate. He was walking towards her. Holly waited for him. Her heart was accelerating at speeds she hasn't felt since she was with Chris. . .

It wasn't lust.


	24. Rescuing Azula

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**WARNING: Contains mature content.**

* * *

The stairs creaked and squeeled on each and every step that the two young men made as they made their way to the next floor of the building. The higher they went, the more darker it reached. Zuko was scared to tough any part of the walls that were on either side of them. Dust and spider webs engulfed the unstable wood to the point where the color was abnormally dusk. He raised his head and saw that the ceiling was covered with dark yellow stains.

Chris stopped at the top of the steps, and Zuko ran into him before he noticed they found the upstairs. He immediately took in musty fumes through his lungs. The moisture level was strangely high for being in the middle of the desert, and it wasn't the normal extra humidity moisture that you would encounter after a round of storms. The aroma was excruciating.

He could barely see a thing, but from what he could figure out, Zuko was standing in a narrow hallway that was exactly like the alleys outside. The floor was full of lengthy and jagged splinters that would surely harm the bottoms of your feet without shoes. A large, black spider scurried alongside his foot. He followed the spider's direction through the hall, for he waited for Chris's word. The spider disappeared through a shadow to his left.

After studying the shadows on both sides of him, it finally occured to him that there were discusting, ripped, and stained blankets that were bolted to the ceiling and hung as a seperation of rooms.

Chris did not say a word. Instead, he swiped his hand through the blanket on the left and entered.

Zuko closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself for whatever was behind the tapestry. Though he was subconsciously reluctant in his mind, his heart was set on finding Azula, and so he followed.

The smell was much worse inside the actual room, which was about the size of a large closet. The first thing that struck him was the young woman spralled out onto a bed that was shoved in the corner of the room. The thin sheets of blanket matched the ones that were hung on the doorway that covered her dangerously thin body. One of her arms hung low over the side of the dirty mattress, and the other was awkwardly leaning against the dusty wall. Her long dark hair was full of knots and sweat, as well as the rest of her body. Her exposed chest showed drastic bruises around her rib cage. There was a trickle of dry blood at the corner of her lip, and her right eye was so dark and swollen that it was about the size of her fist. Her left eye showed a dark tint of red all around her pupil.

"Is that your sister?" Chris whispered over his shoulder, before continuing to approach the barely-conscious girl.

He stared at her. He felt a bomb of emotions explode at the pit of his stomach. He felt as though his heart dropped miles down to meet the core of the earth. Zuko's jaw fell. When he tried to speak, his voice gave out, and a failing swoosh sound spiraled out of control. . .

"Is sh- sh- sh- is she. . . ?"

"No, she's not dead. The mobsters don't kill 'em." Chris didn't want to give out too much information. He was already too shocked to act. "We have to carry her back, and it's gotta be pretty damn quick. It's already after noon." He had no idea why he said "we", since he knows Zuko isn't capable of carrying his sister back to his penthouse safely.

Chris threw the blanket off of her and searched for her scattered undergarments that they were forced to wear if it was needed. Zuko found it discustingly horrible that Azula's naked body was so badly beaten and unkempt. He didn't know that it was possible for someone to do this to her. She was always so tough and headstrong. . . It was so unnecesarilly awkward to watch Chris put black clothes that barely covered much else over her. After so many long seconds that ticked by, he had to turn away. He covered his face with his hands and held in his cry with as much of his power to avoid being heard. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that someone was so sick enough to cause such a cruel crime.

"What're you doing?" a faint voice squeeked. Those words made him jump and he shot his sight back. Azula was loopy, and his words were understandably slurred, but she was talking. She groaned uneasily and stretched her arms around Chris.

"I'm going to take you to another place," Chris stated, avoiding her eye contact and stayed focused on wrapping her top around her chest. Small clouds of dust flew in the air from the rustling of the bed.

"Another place. . . no, I half to stay 'ere!" An obvious hint of fright gleamed in her eyes. "Thay said I half to stay 'ere!" Zuko didn't even care about the risk of being heard anymore. The sound of her voice was making that lump in his throat double in size. "Dey said eef I try to esquape again that I'm gonna be _dead_!"

"You're gonna be fine, hun, I have specific orders from the mob to transfer you to another location. Nothin's gonna happen to you."

Zuko found it admirable that Chris was so calm in stepping in to rescue his sister, but he knew that it wasn't right to be this calm in this type of situation. Is this something that he sees on a regular basis? Is this was being in a mafia does to you?

Azula planted another groan through the foggy must while she was thrown over Chris's shoulder. Her arms and head hung down his back, with no strength to hold it up by. She still had no idea that Zuko was standing in the same room. The sweat that gleamed across her bare back ran down to her shoulders and neck in beads. And the sweat ran across a bruise that was in the shape of a hand print.

He turned to face him with a worried look, keeping a firm arm grip around Azula. "If we come across any more mobsters, then you're gonna have to be the one to hold 'em off. The _second_ you see one of 'em in your way, you gotta attack. Some 'o the dealers know a move that'll kill you in an instant. I still haven't got the move down to block it, yet. . ." he admitted with a frown, thinking how much easier it would be to do this if his girlfriend was with him. He brushed the fantasy aside and sighed for the unfortunate catches of reality. "But hopefully we won't see any of 'em at this time of day." Chris waited for a response, but he took his blank look as a hint that he couldn't speak if he even wanted to.

Zuko traced his mind back to the time when Holly took over his airship and killed all of those firebenders at once, and he figured that that was the move he was referring to. How is he supposed to be quick enough to attack them before they strike?

"Okay, let's get outta here."

Everything was moving so fast for Zuko, but he would rather get this over with then to stick around here. Zuko whisped the blanket out of his way and stepped over to the staircase, where there was much more light for him to see at the bottom. The smell gradually left his sinuses when he entered the bottom floor again, but it was replaced with the usual dry air that was completely unfresh.

They were back in the front room. The mobster that Chris attacked was still laying in the planks of wood that used to be a table. Zuko stopped in his tracks.

"Is he the one who did that to her?" he bluntly asked, only seeing the color red in his mind.

"If my guess is right, then yeah, he must be the one who took the job after Shehr and Bvilo. He must be here only temporarily cause I can damn well tell that he ain't no dealer." Chris watched Zuko throw his fist back, but he took it with his free hand before he could attack the man.

"The chances are very slim that he was actually the one who, uh. . . did this to Azula. The busines is open to any open candidates - not just one person does it all. And plus, you don't wanna make any rucus to wake 'em up cause that'll be the end of all of us."

"So you're gonna take the risk of letting him live and knowing that we _invaded the headquarters?_"

Chris sighed. He had a point. Again, why couldn't Holly be here with him? She would be able to kill him with absence of all sound.

"Just choke 'im," he mumbled.

"Choke him?" Zuko asked surprisingly.

He nodded.

It wasn't hard for Zuko to admit to himself that he wasn't pleased with the fact that he was going to have to kill a human being in one of the worst ways you could ever be killed. He knows that being on the fire nation's side was bad, but he would never of considered of killing anybody under any circumstance until now. It certainly made him sick inside - but then again, when does he ever feel good anymore? At this moment, it can't get any worse. The least that he can do for himself is to reduce the risk of getting him and his sister seperated again, killed, or even worse, getting trapped in Haven City for the rest of their lives.

Zuko knelt down next to the man, whom he thought to be unconscious, but he was evidently wrong. His eyes were open, and fire raged in his pale-golden eyes. There must be no use in his legs without pain, because his arms seemed to work fine. Zuko could barely squeel out a gasp before the mobster's enormous hands grabbed hold of his neck. His reactions were much faster then his.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa - Zuko!" Chris threw Azula off of his shoulders and placed her on the next table behind them and threw himself at Zuko and the mobster that was choking him.

Zuko knew he had to act quick. His air supply was low, and getting lower by the second. He felt his face build up in different shades of red for the lack of blood flow in his system. He attempted to punch a blaze of fire to the mobster's face, but nothing but sparks escapes his fist. He can't firebend without his breath. If Chris wasn't with him right now, then he would be a dead man.

Chris chose not to use his own firebending in this situation to not take the risk of hitting Zuko, so he kicked the mobster just below the side of his ribs where his pressure point is. He definately felt the impact, but his grip barely loosened. He knew that attacking him that way would do him more good. He took a couple of seconds to think, and then he smacked his hands around one of the mobster's arm and forced all of the heat out of them with the deepest breath he could let out.

The mobster finally let go, but he didn't take a break to catch his breath. With the only good limb that he had left, he threw his fist to the side of his face, but Chris blocked it before he was hit, and he twisted his wrist over. The mobster cried in pain as he felt the bones in his wrist pop and crack out of place. Chris took the time to his advantage and he slammed his forehead against his. Taking it by surprise, his eyes closed at the thump. He grabbed each side of his face, his nails digging into the skin of his cheeks, and he threw it the opposite way so hard that his bones in his neck broke in many places and the muscles surrounding the bones squished out of unnatural place. The move was so strong that it squeezed the man's esophogus inside him to block the pathway to his lungs, doing the same damage as if he took the time to choke him.

By the time the mobster was finally dead, Zuko's coughing spell came to an end. He breathed in, and then he let it out, and he breathed in, and then out. . . He kept his hand on his neck. He was sure that he was going to have a punctured bruise that was going to surround it.

Chris stood back up and turned his back on the man he had just successfully killed. "You alright?" he asked, setting his colorful eyes on the struggling young prince.

Zuko nodded once, but they both knew that it was a lie.

* * *

When Aang and Holly's lips met, mixed emotions hit Holly all at once. One side of her enjoyed it, and was curious to where this could take her and what kind of relationship the two of them could really have. The other side of her was much stronger then the first. She knew that her heart was with Chris, and she made a promise to him that she wasn't going to find love on her jouney. It was her own choice. Chris said that it wasn't needed, but she refused to not give him that promise. He is the one that she loves. She especially didn't want to start dating Aang in Ember Island, and when the day comes to find her true love again, he would be dumped without question. It would be best to stop it now before it gets any worse.

Aang's hands were placed on each side of Holly's curved waist, but before the kiss could deepen, Holly gently pushed him away by the shoulders. "No, no, no. . ." her denial repeated. "This isn't right."

Aang looked crestfallen. "I thought you were just testing if it was lust for not?"

"I was, but I just realized that what we're doing is completely wrong," she stated, waving her hands to the ground negatively and pacing back and forth in front of him. Then, she stopped walking, and pierced Aang with her brilliant golden eyes. "Aang: I'm sorry. I can't deny that our feelings are at least a bit mutual, but my heart is already with Chris, and quite frankly, I'm pretty sure you and Katara have some kind of thing, right? I know I've been mentioning that a lot, but you know that it's true. . ."

"I know, Holly. . . I think I feel the same way." Holly could see the untruthfulness in his eyes, but he let him continue. "I shouldn't of ever brought up any of this in the first place. You're supposed to be my firebending teacher, and that's it. Let's just forget that this ever happened."

". . . Wanna go meet up with everyone else in the courtyard now?" Holly grinned innocently and her eyebrows slightly raised.

Aang smiled back at her, and he politely agreed. Together, the two of them walked out of his room and made their way to meet the rest of the gaang.

* * *

Zuko thought that walking all the way back would seem at least a bit less longer then walking there, since the mission has basically been completed already. He preferred to walk in front of Chris this time. He couldn't bear to have his sister be in his sight the entire way home. Just simply knowing that she was passed out over his shoulder behind him was enough to toggle with his emotions. The only thing that he could hear was the sound of his own quiet sobs.

Despite the agonizing silence the whole walk back, they were never spotted. They were finally going down the alley where Chris's penthouse was. He looked up at the sky before they entered, and the sun was already starting to set. They must be just in time.

Chris looked back at the main road. There were shadows of people's outlines drawing near.

"Yeah, the boss said that his house was down this way. Mmm, I hope they're right! If we catch that son of a bitch 'nd turn 'im in, we'd be set on our weed for life!"

Chris felt his heart pound vigorously in acceleration. He turned back around and shoved Zuko as an urging gesture to get in his house. He threw the door open and both of them quickly jumped in the doorway. For the first time all day, Chris was panicking just as much as Zuko was. He had no idea how to avoid the mobsters because they already knew where he is.

"Here, take Azula and go in the room farthest away from here," he implied towards his foyer and living room. He thrusted Azula over Zuko's shoulder as fast as he could and shoved him and shoved him until he ran into Chris's bedroom, which was the last room in his penthouse on the left. There was barely time to think. Zuko placed Azula in his bed, and he protectively sat in front of her at the edge.

Chris was planted in the middle of his foyer, too stricken to move. He knew that he had seconds until the mobsters arrived at his doorstep.

_Boom boom boom!_

"Open up, Chris, we know you're in there!" a scratchy voice yelled.

Why can't Holly be with him? If not that, then why can't he be as good at hiding his emotions? He has to be that good. It's the matter of living or dying in his hands. He took a deep, calming breath. . .

He turned around and opened the door. Two large drug dealers were standing at his doorway. One had dark hair that represented Holly's style in a male version, with an eyebrow and bottom lip piercing in the middle. He was shirtless, but it was hard to tell because he was covered in nasty tattoos from the bottom on his waist, to the top of his neck, and down to the end of his wrists. He wore black shorts that went down to his knee and metal-souled boots. His build of muscle equalled the size of his own, and so did the other, who was wearing a black tank top and dark-crimson shorts. He had slightly less tattoos and muscle, with only one large septum piercing, and his hair was buzzed in distinct corners and shapes, but he was much taller.

"Chris Draven. The closest royal heir to the Havens. . . heh heh heh, ain't that a joke? Bein' such a god damn disgrace to the Haven's mafia," the shorter one said with a chuckle.

Chris kept his cool at their hypocritical insult. "What do you want?"

"You're gonna come with us!" The taller mobster grabbed him by the shirt. Chris was so angry at how sick the dealers have gotten ever since they have been created under Holly's power. He began his attack by flipping him over from the arm, and he slammed his back into the dusty ground. Chris jumped in the air, put his hands on the mobster's back, and flipped himself over before the other one could use his move on him.

* * *

Zuko could not just sit in hiding while his new-found friend was going to be attacked by those sick people. He saved his sister, and frankly, his own life, too, while taking this risk of his own.

"Zuko?"

He turned around at the call of his name. Azula turned in Chris's bed and rubbed her one good eye. The effects of her being drugged must be wearing off, which he thought was the most inconvenient time for doing so.

"Azula. I don't have much time to explain this, but, me and this guy I met, Chris just rescued you, and we're in his house right now, but there's mobsters attacking him out there right now and I gotta help him!"

He didn't wait for Azula's response. He ran out of the room, down the hallway, through the living room, and into the foyer. Chris must've brought the fight inside to avoid making loud noise outside. So far, he was loosing. Both dealers gaanged up on him and were about to throw any hits that they could at him with their firebending, and that's when Zuko stepped in. In his firebending stance, he kicked the shorter dealer in the face and knocked him down. The two of them had their own mobster to fight. Zuko now realized why dealers are always said to be so much more dangerous then the typical mobster. They knew what they were doing when it came to fighting. Not only did they throw good hits, but it also came along with their firebending heat that radiated off their skin. Everytime they were even touched by them, they would be burned.

Azula was dizzy and confused. Zuko talked so fast and she barely remembered what he even said. Her vision was gradually becoming clearer, and she could confirm that she was in a bedroom, but it was much more clean then the one she was previously in. The pain in all of her wounds was coming back to her. At first, she could only hear a ringing sound in both of her ears, but after a few moments, the sounds of tables falling over, people falling to the ground, and the sounds of thrusts, hits, and sounds of pain could be easily heard. She can't let Zuko and his friend be taken away after what they just did to save her. . .

She knew that there was pain when she moved herself out of the bed, but from being under addrenaline, it didn't bother her as much. She felt obligated to take the mobsters down for what their society did to her and her brother. She wanted revenge.

* * *

They were so close to winning. All four of them were so equally matched that the only way they could win this fight is if the mobsters get too worn out before them. It was something that Chris was desperately counting on. Nothing else could save them now. Neither of them have the knowledge of Haven's ability to kill, and the dealers do. If they take one break, then they can use that to kill them both.

He heard someone stumble into the doorway of the foyer. All four of them stopped to look at who it was. None of them could believe it. Azula was standing there, completely washed out of any mind-bending drugs, and ready to finish this fight, once and for all.

Azula unleashed all of her power on them. Her blue fire was no match for their's, and they had no time to stop and kill her. Chris and Zuko had to keep their distance while she took on her revenge on them. The bright-blue fire eventually latched onto them, and there was no point of escape. They tried to run back outside before it was too late, but Zuko and Chris blocked the front door. They had no where to go. The two of them dropped to their knees, and begged for any kind of mercy to the spirits, but nothing could save them. They died in slow, heart-wrenching, and simply discusting pain.

The scent of a burning human being filled their senses. This was much too familiar for Chris. The memory of Holly burning those people two years ago was much too clear. That was the day that tragic struck, the day that he almost lost her for good - and the day that caused her to leave on her mission because of her survival. His eyes became glassy, and it wasn't because of the smoke that was filling the room. He can't open the door to let it out. That would obviously be suspicious to the other mobsters outside.

When there was nothing but bits and pieces of crusty bone and ash in the middle of his foyer, the fire gave out. The horrible smoke made its way through the living room, and down the hallway to the rest of the rooms. The only way it was going to air out is to wait for it to escape the cracks and openings in the walls of his house.

Chris, Zuko, and Azula all looked at each other.

* * *

**Well, this wasn't exactly as long as I wanted this, but I'm definately proud of myself for finally writing a chapter that wasn't all about Holly this time. I'm pretty sure that tiny scene with her and Aang wasn't really needed anyway until the next chapter, but I figured that I should put it in there just to make time while Chris and Zuko walk all the way back to his penthouse. I'm pretty sure once I come back and read this, I won't like a few parts of how I've written the end, because it's pretty hard to write what was going on, but hopefully I've got my point across.**

**I've sort of enjoyed writing about someone who can't actually defend all of the enemies that are around them, and someone who isn't the greatest firebender in the world, because then there's actually limits and ways I have to work around it, but it was different, and that's what was cool about it.**

**Hope you've enjoyed Chris and Zuko's mission! :) and now there's a team of three.**


	25. A Family Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

To a firebender like Holly, being under the sun while it rises is the most refreshing thing. The glitters from its light were like cool droplets of water filling the pores through her skin. The source of fire in her heart increased its strength greatly. Her eyes shined the color golden to its fullest and the rays erased the blur. Her mood became clear, and opening up about the horrors of her mafia to the gaang didn't strike her as difficult.

She forgot about the slight mistake that she made a few minutes prior regarding her and Aang. So many worse things has happened to her in her life, and she has learned that you can't dwell on the past. Her heart is set on Chris, and that's how it will always be. Being under the sunrise made her think of him, and not feel bad about kissing Aang.

Everyone was sitting together in a half-circle in front of the tree in the corner of the courtyard. Sokka and Toph looked the most unpleasant out of them all. Both of them had a stubborn look on their tired faces, with their arms tightly crossed around their chest and looking at nothing but the ground around their feet. Iroh looked equally as refreshed under the sun as Holly. His hands were placed comfortably over his crossed legs with a humble look upon his aging face. Katara had a fake smile on her face. Holly could tell that she was nervous. Hopefully, after this, she won't have to be nervous anymore, because she's hoping that everyone can finally open up to each other and focus on what needs to be done.

"Good morning, young ones," Iroh greeted happily with a smile.

"Good morning," Aang echoed back in the same tone. He joined the group by sitting next to Katara, which brought up Katara's nervousness even more. Holly remained standing. She automatically leaned on her good leg to avoid irritating pain, but her posture was still straight. Everyone's eyes were locked on her. Toph was surprisingly the first one to speak.

"This better be good for waking me up this early," she pouted.

Sokka was the only one who chuckled.

"And a good morning to you all," Holly began kindly. "First of all, it was my idea to have us all get together this morning. I guess you could call it. . . a little family meeting, I suppose. I just feel that it would benefit all of us for the challenges we're to face in the future if we get clean about some things. But before we go straight to the point, I'd like to share a bit of my past to you all so you can get a better understanding of why I am the way I am, and so you'll feel more comfortable about sharing your own stories - if you'd like to.

"I was born in the fire nation, of course. My parents, Ignatius and Kokoro, planned on raising my sister, Amanda and I there." The gaang exchanged looks at the mention of her sister. Holly hates to talk about her sister, but she was going to open up to everyone to make it fair. "My father has always had himself an organization, but it was too hard to run his businesses when the war was interfeering. So my father agreed with my mother that it was too dangerous to raise Amanda, who was in her early stages of being a toddler, and I in the type of environment." She paused because Holly suspected an interruption by Katara on how ironic their decision turned out, but she said nothing. She was relieved to finally have a kind Katara in her midst.

"So our family and everyone apart of his organization migrated out of the fire nation when I was still a baby. From what I was told, 'someone' changed our course from Ba Sing Se to the desert in the middle of nowhere." Holly resisted herself from acknowledging her sureness of it being Mainyu who changed the course and continued. "And, a little too conveniently, our ships were destroyed after landing them. Our people walked for miles upshore to try and find something that we could live off of, but there was nothing that was naturally liveable. In order to survive, the organization was forced to build a city out of spare pieces of wood from our ships. And so this started a life for me being used to never having. . . enough.

"I never understood what my father's organization was when I was young. I never grasped onto the hints because of my understandable stages of being a child. But from the time I was a baby, from when I was almost nine years old, I was living a life of confusion. I never really knew what was right and what was left. The adults that were in my life looked. . . well, like mobsters, and after so many years, I was convinced that that was normal for a human to look. The way they walked, and the way they talked. . . I looked up to them, and I started to compare myself to them. So I never had a stable role model to look up to when I was that young besides my sister and parents."

Holly sat down and completed the circle. Her legs weren't strong enough to handle being crossed from another, so she half-folded her good leg up against her and stretched out her other in front of her. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand for the rest of her story, because it only goes way downhill from here. She was trying to stay strong for Katara, to try and assure her that she can feel comfortable around the gaang in confessing what she has went through, but Holly barely even mentions her horrible life to Chris, but it was partly because he was with her through much of it.

"There was one rule in our house - and it was the most important rule in our house that we had to follow. My mother told Amanda and I that we are not allowed, under any circumstances, to _ever_ roam the streets at night. She would get so serious about it at times, that we would have gaurds standing outside of our bedrooms and put tons of locks around us. She would make sure that we were safe at night.

"One night, when I was just barely nine years old. . . this was when I was young, and immature, and I was cocky. I was just starting to learn firebending, and after learning that my fire was spiritual, I thought that nothing was going to hurt me. . ." Holly took a deep breath. She at least attempted to justify her actions, even though she still feels guilty about making this decision every day. "One night, I decided to break the most important rule of our house . . . and go outside at night. I snuck out the back window when no one was looking, started walkin' down the first road I came to, took a few turns, and very quickly. . I got lost. I could see everything fine, of course, but all of the buildings look the same, as well as the roads and alleyways.

"Eventually, I ended up on the other side of town, which I've never was able to set foot in. I instantly realized why:" She exhaled puffs of white and transparent smoke that was released through the fresh air. "The smell of drugs contaminated my senses the instant I set foot in the next alley. It was altering my decisions to turn back when I had the chance or keep going out of curiosity. . . I hate myself every single day for the decision that I made, and that was to keep walking down the wrong path.

"There was a group of about five - ten at the most mobsters at the end of the alley, smoking weed - and they were obviously wasted." Holly could simply not go into detail without breaking down. She was already living through it again in her mind. "Long story short: I got raped by one of 'em, Chris saved me, and we fell in love," she grinned cheesily. Her and Aang exchanged an awkward look. She noticed water building up in Katara's eyes and she hugged her knees close.

"I certainly and most _definately_ got my act together after that. I knew that if I didn't do what I was told, then I wasn't gonna survive there.

"There were five nobles of Haven City that were the highest-appointed mobsters of the city - next to my family, of course. After that night, I met with one of the nobles named Angra Mainyu. He was the one who came to me, actually. He basically took my immatureness to his advantage and offered me firebending lessons. Obviously, I wanted to take any oppurtunity that would make me stronger and able to defend myself. So anytime that I got the chance, I would meet him at a vacant house and learn how to firebend like a real mobster.

"I kept seeing my parents less and less because they were having issues in the business. My sister was starting to lose her mind after she found out what happened to me cause it was her boyfriend that raped me and she didn't wanna believe it. She just didn't wanna face the reality that Austain was a sick man and he wasn't the guy of her dreams. She had to get slapped around a bit to finally realize that somethin' was wrong with him. So. . . I never really saw her, either. I was always with Chris. We were the only sane people in the mob, and we were kids back then. He would teach me some firebending moves and stuff like that in our spare time, we'd go to his penthouse and play around. . . that was basically the only time that I could be a child."

"I thought things were finally starting to turn up for me. I never broke any of my parent's rules anymore. I mean, I would spend the night at Chris's penthouse sometimes, but my parents were never really there to tell me that it wasn't right. Uh. . . and then I turned ten. Everyone in the city could feel something strange going on. Things were changing, the business was getting out of control, my parents were holding more security on Amanda and I, and. . . Chris would not leave my side anymore. I wasn't aloud to see Mainyu anymore under my mother's orders. She gave me some lecture about how I shouldn't trust him, and the day after she gave me that lecture, I never saw her again - along with my father. . ."

Holly gripped onto the ground so tightly that the heat from her hand was killing the lively grass.

"That's terrible," Katara said. Holly looked at Katara again. She knows what it's like to feel helpless in the mafia, and she knows that it takes a lot to admit what actually happened to the people you love.

_"She said that you can't see Mainyu again?" Chris asked, after her explination of her mother Kokoro's lecture._

_"Yeah. I mean, the guy's weird, anyone can see that, but I never would think that he's that bad of a guy. . ."_

_"I don't know, Holly, I think I might agree with your mom a little bit. I've never really trusted him, either. There's just something about him. . ." he admitted. His colorful eyes wandered the living room of his penthouse. Holly leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed._

_"I just want him to teach me firebending, and there's nothing else to it. I don't care what kind of a guy he is."_

_"Holly, you know what I said about keeping such a leniant attitude. I don't want you trusting just any mobster just because he wants to teach you firebending."_

_"Yeah. . . I guess you're right."_

_They sat in a small moment of silence._

_Chris sighed. "We should probably get going. The sun's gonna start coming down soon."_

_"How can you tell? It's not like you have any windows to check," Holly smirked. She ran her fingers through her long, golden-brown hair that reached to the middle of her waist in many waves and curls._

_"I just have a feeling. You've been here a while, and I don't want you out too late."_

_Holly stood up, followed by Chris, and the two of them walked out of the living room, through the foyer, and Chris held the door for Holly outside. The sun was already starting to set, which was grealty worrying Chris, and Holly, even if she didn't want to admit to it. There wasn't any mobsters out yet, but they were bound to come out of their homes soon._

_"Okay, you're spendin' the night at my house again." He wrapped his arms around Holly's waist from behind and urged her to move back inside._

_"If I spend the night at your house again then I'm gonna get in trouble and I won't be able to see you. I think my mom's not gonna be handing out anymore second chances on that. . ."_

"Everyone has heard of people bein' caught off gaurd, and you've probably experienced something like that once or twice in your life. . . but I know what bein' caught off gaurd is like. It was so weird 'cause it was just a normal day for me. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary that day, there wasn't anything unusual until Chris and I started walkin' back to my house that evening."

_Holly could see mobsters at the dead ends of all of the alleys. They were commensing amongst each other. At times, one of them would notice Holly's precense and give her a piercing look, but they took no actions to attack her. All of them appeared sober, and very into whatever conversation they were having. It scared her a bit that they all looked so serious and cunning. Chris suspected that they were planning something._

_Chris latched his arm around with Holly's tightly, so if there were any case that any mobster would try to drag her away, Chris would go along with her._

_They were about a block away from her house, and they ran into a huge group of a few dozen mobsters that filled up the road ahead. The sun wasn't completely down. This was entirely out of line. This was something that both of them have never even heard of happening before. Chris couldn't see between everybody to tell what they were doing, but Holly could._

"I went into depression for a few months. I know that that doesn't seem like it's very long, but it really is when you're under that kind of condition. I was so out of control. . . I, uh, changed my image, I started doin' drugs. . . and then my sister left me. Chris said that she told me she was going to try to go back to the fire nation, but I don't remember it 'cause there was never a moment that I was sober.

"One day, when I was just turning eleven, Chris finally had enough of me bein' that way. He made me stay at his penthouse all day, every day. He cleaned me out of all the weed, all the drinks, a little bit of cocaine. . . and he made me sober again. . . an'nd I did _not_ like that," Holly gave a nervous chuckle. "I would try to run out his door to get some kind of drug in my system, but he would not let me go. I would kick and scream and throw hits and punches at him, but he didn't let me. Chris broke my addiction to drugs.

"So I finally got clean at eleven. I wasn't perfect, but I was definately a lot better. But those drugs did somethin' to me physically and mentally. Physically: I lost almost all of my senses of smell, and my lungs got shot, and now if I'm ever caught in too much smoke, then I could choke to death. Mentally: My personatlity changed from a normal girl. . . to a gangster.

"So Chris was finally startin' to trust me more now, and he let me out of his house by myself to see if he could trust me on this. I passed a couple mobsters talkin' about this. . . _move_ that can kill people by the true fire in one's heart. And they specifically said that that was the move that killed my parents and drove my sister away. I watched 'em from afar trying to demonstrate how they do it, so I took that information, I walked back to the vacant house where Mainyu used to teach me firebending, and I worked my _ass_ off to try and get that move down. Along the way, I wanted to get myself stronger so I can protect myself more and feel more healthier and more confident about myself. I completed my image of what I am today at about that time. That's about when I started gettin' into piercings, too. Chris wasn't really too fond of it, but. . ." Holly trailed off and shrugged her shoulders.

"Chris sounds like a magnificent young man with a very big heart," Iroh complimented. "Not only did he save your life on numerous occasions, but he also saved your mind and soul."

Holly breathed deeply and absorbed Iroh's compliment.

"I can't believe how much you've actually gone through in just the first ten years of your life," Sokka told her, shaking his head in shock.

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "I mean, being in Haven City for a week was bad enough. I can't even imagine what it would be like for someone to grow up in a place like that."

"You guys are actin' like I'm done with my story." Holly let out a painful laugh. All of them fell silent, and none of them laughed along with her. Holly wiped the fake smile off of her face. She knew that it was hyppocritical if she was trying to help Katara, who did look like she was feeling more comfortable about herself. Holly has never told anybody all of her tragedies in her life, and it was definately a weird feeling for her to be so open to other people. She didn't know if she liked it or not yet because she hated feeling that feeling of having a ball in your throat that won't go away.

"So this _other_ day, when I was 'bout eleven and a half, I'm walkin' with Chris over to his penthouse, and we find this scroll on his doorstep. And it happens to be from the nobles, invitin' me to their place that night. They said that I have to be the next person to step in as the mob boss.

"It's been about a year since my parents died, and it just hit me at that moment that I was the last Haven in the city. It was pretty striking to me at first, and Chris's reaction, obviously, was that he didn't want me to go."

_"Holly, I don't want you walkin' through the streets at night! I can't believe you're actually considering this!"_

_"I have to go, Chris! I have to be the one who has to step in!"_

_Chris opened his mouth to say something, but Holly interrupted him before he could argue._

_"What do you think is gonna happen if I don't at least show up tonight? You think that they're just gonna be like, 'Oh, well, we'll just find someone else to take the job.'? No, you know that they don't work like that! You know if I don't do what they say that they're gonna find us!"_

_Chris stared at her blankly. He had nothing to say back to her because what she said was true. For once, Holly was making practical decisions and she was thinking things through. He realized that she was finally maturing and learning how to survive in a place like this._

"But I finally got through to him that I would be better off going to the nobles then risking the chance of them gettin' pissed that I refused the mob's rules, which would prob'ly get both of us killed. When I showed up, I finally met the other nobles for the first time (since I've already met Mainyu). The highest appointed noble, Baer, was definately the highest appointed noble for a reason. The other three of 'em were pretty intimidating, but he was just. . . someone that you _had_ to have respect for. It's not that he was, like, a bad man or anything. He was just fricken intimidating." This time, everybody laughed along with Holly. But she knew inside that it was not funny. It was certainly not a humorous thing to be in that room full of master firebenders pressuring her to be the leader of their city.

"I seriously had no choice but to be the leader of the mob at age eleven. I was understandably not very happy about it, because I had no idea what I was doing. The nobles gave me this new penthouse across town from Chris's penthouse, which he didn't like very much. I had to fill out papers of all of the businesses that have been out of control since my parents died. I had to sort out how to export the marijuana that we were growing to other organizations across the world when we were in the middle of a desert, and how to import the money in exchange, and how to use that money to purchase the needs of our city for all of us to survive. . . It was a lot. I had to grow up a lot more in order to keep everything organized. I was getting more serious about my firebending techniques, even though I hated my instructor. . ." Holly felt a burning hatred in her heart for the sick man who took her city. "But things were pretty fine, I guess. I thought that I was actually savin' the mob, and I sort of was for a while. It was a lot easier to do it with the nobles on my side. I actually met one of the noble's daughter, Heather. It was pretty convenient because the day I met her was the day me and Chris decided to breakup. It was mostly because Chris couldn't handle having me as a girlfriend at the time because I was so focused on my work and we never saw each other. And whenever we did see each other, we would just fight over stupid things. Even though we called it quits for a while, I knew we would pull around, but I didn't expect it to happen the way it did.

"I was twelve. Heather and Chris were dating while I was runnin' the mob. And then, this one day, Heather comes into my penthouse and tells me that Chris got in a fight with a bunch of mobsters," Holly raised her eyebrows. "I freaked out. I ran over there and find him layin' in the street half-conscious. Then all of these mobsters start crowdin' up on us from every direction. I got in a battle with all of them, and I finally got the move down, and I killed a good handful of 'em. I didn't get all of 'em, though. There were still so many of them around. I thought they were all killed behind me, but apparently there were still a few left. So, in the meantime, I attacked the whole crowd in the front, and since I couldn't see the others behind me, I never noticed that they threw dynamite that landed between my legs. That was the closest that I ever came to death."

"So you were in an explosion?" Toph asked, giving away the fact that she was interested in Holly's life story.

"Yes."

"You actually survived from that?" Sokka asked unbelievably. "I've heard of people from our tribe getting injured from dynamite explosions from the fire nation, but the bomb never got that close to them like that!"

"I agree," Iroh said. "It is, without question, a great miracle that you have been given another chance at life."

"Believe me: I am blessed to have survived." The corners of Holly's lips were pulled at each ends into a slight smile.

"It doesn't even look like you were _in_ an explosion," Aang implied as a compliment.

"I used to have huge ugly scars all around my thighs, but you can't see 'em as much anymore. But I got permanent damage to my left thigh muscle that disables me from running. I guess I must've ran into some kind of metal bar and it hit my thigh when I was flying through the air from the bomb. That's what I was told, at least. . .

"Anyways: I wakeup in my penthouse, wrapped up in so many bandages that I couldn't even move in the bed that I was in. They gave me some kind of drug that numbed the pain when I wokeup, so I was really stiff and confused. I had no time to collect my thoughts, cause then lo' and behold: Mainyu shows up!

"He tells me that all of the nobles have conveniently died after I almost did, and I was just so _damn_ lucky to not go along with 'em like he planned! Since I was in no condition to be leader anymore, he steals my place. Even though I didn't die, he still got what he partly wanted, and that was to be the leader of Haven City. The next step in his power to make his plan complete was to overthrow the fire nation. Because if you can takeover the fire nation, then you takeover the world.

"Basically: he figured out that the only thing that the fire nation would do anything for right now is to have the avatar." At the mention of Aang, everyone drew in closer. A slight gasp escaped Katara's gawked mouth. "He convinced himself that the fire nation were stupid and he was so much more intelligent then they were." Holly rolled her eyes in discust. "Arrogantly, he convinced himself that finding the avatar would be a piece of cake. 'Cause if you got the avatar, then in Mainyu's mind, you automatically have the fire nation. At first, he was gonna do this by himself and a good handful of his fellow dealers. He didn't expect me to have such a full recovery so soon (I was able to walk around with a cane in about six months). I didn't want him to know that I was better, actually. I tried to sneak through the city. Since I didn't have a penthouse anymore, I found myself back at Chris's doorstep. He, of course, welcomed me in literal open arms. . .

"By this time, I figured out that Mainyu kept me alive because I was going to be used in his 'brilliant' plan of his. I guess I shoulda known that he wasn't gonna go out by himself to find the avatar. Oh no, he was gonna make me do it! I found out from the dealers that all of us were gonna take a trip to one of the largest fire nation prisons in the world (since it was the closest thing from the fire nation near Haven City) to gather information on where the avatar might be. I took the information that I got and took it took Chris. We had a lo-ong talk that day. Ever since that day of the explosion, we both knew that we couldn't keep this mob from happening any longer. Both of us _knew_ that we had to get ourselves out of this environment before we really did get killed.

"I was thirteen, and I was recovering from that explosion. Not only that, though. . . I think by that time I was finally a fully-realized firebender. I did a lot of thinking about this avatar stuff since I wokeup from that explosion, and this epiphany hit me when I was with Chris: I wanted to be his firebending teacher. If the avatar can save us from the war, then the mob would be no longer because hopefully the world will be at balance.

"I spent my last night with Chris that day. I cherished every moment with him that night. . ." Holly paused for a moment, "and the next morning, we said our goodbyes. . . and it was the hardest thing that I've ever done was to leave him there." Holly's pure eyes built up with tears. She pulled her head into her arm and quickly took it back to make it look like she wasn't trying to hide the fact that she was holding back a cry.

"I found myself in prison for a good. . . long year. Nobody talked about the avatar enough for us to act on it. It's like we were just regular prisoners for that long of a time. It's not that anything huge happened during that time, but that was the problem. I could defend myself, I would always win in verbal and physical fights, but that didn't really happen too often. It was just depressing to be there for so long. Especially to be constantly watched by the man who has killed your parents and made your sister leave. . . to be watched by the man who I hate.

"Mainyu got fed up of waiting just after I turned fourteen. One night, he escaped out of his cell and he stole one of the staff's uniforms and became disguised as one for a couple days. He somehow found the warden and overheard him saying about how the fire nation just found out that the avatar and his friends were spotted leaving the Western Air Temple, and they were making their way north. After Mainyu found out, he ran back to me and told me to leave in the morning to fetch him. He told me to not make it look like I left - but screw him, I took out the entire back wall of the cell of flew out of that depressing place. . ." Holly sighed and looked around at the people listening to her life story. Sokka, Katara and Aang all stared at her with the same shocked look. Iroh's expression was much as the same as before she began talking. Toph obviously could not stare at Holly, but she looked just as intrigued as the rest of them.

". . . and then I found you guys."

None of their expressions changed, and nobody said anything.

"I certainly wasn't intending on telling you guys my whole life story, but-"

"You're amazing!" Katara blurted out. Holly jumped a bit in surprise at the sound of her voice. "After all that you've been through, you're still standing here - trying to do good in the world! After everything in the mob, you still fought for what's right!"

"I think we all agree one hundred percent," Iroh said gladly. "I knew the moment that I saw the color of your eyes that you have nothing but light inside of you, despite all of the contradictions you have had to face with all of your life. The eyes that you have been gifted with have a purpose, and they are partly there to be the windows to your soul. If my guess is correct, then I must be sitting beside a young woman who is either _descended_ from the great spirit who has created fire for our world, or is actually _her_, sitting wholely in the flesh of another's body."

"_What?_" Holly asked, her voice raising a couple of octaves. "You're referring me as some random girl who got this gifted soul that belongs to The Great Spirit of Fire? That's impossible! I never heard of her passing through generations."

"Holly uses the second source," Aang reminded. "The second source doesn't come from your soul. It comes from your heart."

Holly, Aang, and Iroh all looked at each other in confusement.

"Okay, so what does that tell us?" Sokka asked, putting himself in the debate. "Is Holly the fire spirit or not?"

"I do not know. Avatar Aang has brought up a good point. . ." Iroh contemplated, stroking his beard in deep thought.

"Well, from what I'm hearing, in order for Holly to be the spirit, she would have to use the source of firebending that comes from your soul, because that's how you're naturally supposed to use it, right?" Toph asked.

"White fire can only be obtained by a gifted spirit, according to my sources. . . but if the fire comes from her heart, that would make her a spirit of her own."

"What kind of spirit?" Sokka asked.

They all looked at each other again, until Aang spoke up.

"I have an idea!" he proposed. "Maybe if I can go to the Spirit World, it'll give me some answers. Maybe her actual spirit can't be seen in our world!"

"Yeah!" Sokka agreed. "Good idea!" Katara said. Toph also agreed with a nod, and so did Iroh.

"Guys, wait a minute! I haven't even gotten to the main part of our discussion!" Holly tried to explain. "At least, I need to talk to Iroh before he leaves for Haven City."

"It does, of course, phase me to the dangers of which I am about to face in my journey, but I am not considering of cancelling any of my plans," he told Holly.

"I know. I completely agree," she began. "But I just want you to know how to defend yourself from the mobsters so you can complete your mission. Without knowing how, you're never gonna survive there, and you especially won't save your niece and nephew."

"I will do whatever it takes to save my family."

"Then you won't have a problem in me teaching you how to deflect the killing move, then?"

"Not at all. I would feel honored to be taught by such a great bender. . . such as yourself."

**Lots of Holly, lots of Holly in this chapter. . . once I wrote the dialouge at the beginning of her speech, I just couldn't stop writing it until it was finished properly :P. I purposely didn't want to get to Holly and Katara explaining their abuse in the mob because I wanna save it for future chapters, which it'll probably be very soon. My intentions with Aang is when he goes to the spirit world he won't just learn about Holly, and it'll be more about the original story about him defeating the fire lord and stuff like that, because I know that I'm already way too off track.**

**Anyways, hope you've enjoyed :D**


	26. Heaven's Great Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Sorry for yet another late update. I'm back into High School again and homework is really all I have time for whenever I can finally sit down. I hope the coolness of this chapter makes up for it :D**

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It was funny how this day wasn't going, in any way, how she had planned with Katara earlier this morning. She never even meant to go into so much detail about her past with everyone for so long. She could admit that she felt a lot lighter on her feet after her speech as though heavy weights have been lifted off of her chest. She's never told anybody about her past in so much detail before. She never needed to tell Chris, the only person who she was close to in the mob, about her past because he was living through it with her. She knows that it did no harm in giving her all into her story, but it still bothered her that she wasted all of her time on herself. Though, now that the gaang knows what she has been through, they have a much easier time accepting her for what she has become. She wasn't asking for too much attention at the end, though, she does appreciate the respect. . . it only irritated her that she was being called a fire spirit.

She knew of The Great Spirit of Fire. Her parents used to tell her stories about how it's true mortal form was a white dragon who was named Heaven. Her soul contained nothing but pure enlightness, and so was her fire. During her lifetime, the fire spirit created a world named after her that lyed above all else for passed souls who were in need of a safe existance in their afterlives. It wasn't said how or why the spirit never lived on, but it was never even said if she had died in the first place.

To her best honesty, Holly wasn't looking forward to Aang searching for answers in the spirit world because she was nervous. She didn't know if she was ready for the truth at this point in time. There were so many other things that people need to focus on in the present before they make any new discoveries. Her and Aang have barely scratched the surface of his firebending training, and their time is running out. Sozin's comet is aprroaching. Aang has to learn firebending. Why isn't anyone worrying about that?

Before she can continue with that mission, she has to come up with a way to teach Iroh how to deflect the dealer's move quick enough for him to be able to leave for Haven City the very same day. With one mistake in her mediocre teaching abilities, Iroh could lose his life before he even makes his journey.

Sokka set off with Toph to make an inventory on their supplies to determine what they had and what they were missing. They already knew that their food supply was low, and everyone agreed that their only way to replinish it was to wander the island and see if there were any markets that were opened. At the last moment, Katara decided to go along with them. She had a feeling that she would need to keep a close eye on those two when they had money in their pockets. She needed a day to get out of the house.

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"We just need more food. We have plenty of water. I found plenty more of it in the back of this mansion last night," Sokka informed. He set the dishes, pots and pans back into the droors and cupboards in the kitchen area of the large dining room, while his younger sister pitched in some help. Toph was leaned against the doorway, with one bare foot crossed over the other. She still had feelings of being skeptical about the three of them going out in public in the fire nation. Her doubtfulness was etched upon her face. Both of her misty green eyes hung low to the ground.

The entire room was very exquisite. It was all lit by the sun because the ceiling (that was about twenty feet tall or taller) was made of glass. Dark red ribbon hung gracefully all around it. With the ribbon reflecting the sun, the room's tint was was a warm red color. Large square windows that were larger than most of the doors in the mansion lined all the way down the dining room area, which was also covered in red decor. An extremely long, drawn out, dark wooden table took up almost all of the space of the dining room area on the left, with dozens of matching chairs that surrounded it (the two chairs on each end being the largest and most cultivated). All of the wood was carved with drastic swirls and designs, including the wood in the kitchen area on the opposite side. It was mostly made up of counters, cupboards, droors and shelves, with all of the knobs and handles being solid gold that was carved to match the wood. The only thing that downed the beauty of this room was that there was at least an inch full of dust covering any kind of surface, and cobwebs darkening the corners of the room. The room hasn't been occupied in years.

"Okay, so say that there is a marketplace somewhere on this island," Toph suggested hypothetically. "What are we gonna do about disguises?"

"We'll just do what we did last time," Katara said. She didn't want to admit that she knew where Toph was coming from. She wanted to focus her energy on good things happening on their trip.

"That might not cut it for us this time, Katara. They might still recodnize us from the invasion. We might not have invaded Ember Island, but I'm pretty sure that they still heard about it."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, Toph. We've already passed a bunch of firebenders when we walked across the beach." What Sokka said was true, and neither of the girls thought about that until now. A small rush of relief sunk in the three of them. The two siblings finished their clean up and leaned against the counters in the kitchen.

"I guess the people of the fire nation are sensing that their Fire Lord is enforcing his rules because of our invasion. . ." Katara said, implying that the fire nation citizens were intimidated by his power.

"We do need to be cautious if we do find any kind of marketplace with a bunch of people today. None of us has seen the way the fire nation behaved since before we made our attacks on the solstice. And we definately all know by now that they're unpredictable."

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Holly and Iroh allowed Aang to have the courtyard to himself for meditation. Holly kept her mouth shut about her not wanting Aang to learn if she's a true fire spirit or not. She had more important things to focus on, and the one right now was to give the lesson of her life to Iroh. They decided that their location was best past the long, grassy meadow in the back of the mansion where Iroh was found yesterday.

Holly forgot about the trail that she made in the meadow with her firebending. Iroh looked at her when he noticed the trail of ash that went all the way to the clearing. She merely smiled and squared her shoulders. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. Her anger gets the best of her, sometimes.

"It is not in your place to judge, and to simply 'come to conlcusions'. The spirits are the only ones in place to judge," Iroh preached as the two walked through the meadow of tall grass and cattails.

"Spirits shall act like humans. I have a feeling that even they can make mistakes sometimes," Holly challenged. She did not appreciate being called judgemental, and it struck her that Iroh had a certain sort of grudge towards her decisions. If he had been listening to what she's been through her life, he should understand that she can't help it if she feels threatened by someone who looks to be working for a corrupt human being like Mainyu.

"If I am so right, then isn't it in the nature for us all to be coming to conclusions if we ever do think it? Coming to conclusions was created in our mind; so why not use it? Sometimes you can be right, and there is nothing wrong with being cautious."

Iroh sighed. "Sometimes is not always good enough. And in a war like this, I can reluctantly agree that it is difficult to not be so cautious." Holly was taken by surprise when he implied an admitted defeat. Iroh has had many more years to become smart and wise about life and nature. What does she know about nature? It was something she has never physically came across until now.

The fact that Holly was walking through a meadow, about to give an advanced firebending lesson to a man almost six times her own age was a bit awkward to her. When she outsmarted him, it made her question herself. She asked herself if this was right. Is it right in nature for her, who is becoming barely fifteen, to be more intelligent then a man like Iroh? In the arts of nature?

The clearing was just as damaged as they left it before. The grass was torched to ash, and so there was no life in the area. The leaves were barely connected to the branches it grew with. The side of its trunk that faced them was black. . . but there was something different about it that she could sense. Her golden eyes glowed at the tree, then they lowered to the ground. There were swirls, formations. . . compositions that were sketched in the charcoal.

"Someone's been here," Holly proposed.

"We should find another location," Iroh told her as she stepped into the circle of embers.

"I think not," she disagreed, allowing the souls of her feet to be turned to the color black. She made her own little designs in the dust with the tip of her toe. "Seeing as how stupid the fire nation is, they probably suspected that it was another group of firebenders having their way over somethin'". Holly shrugged and stomped her foot in the dead earth, creating a tiny cloud. "Even if I'm wrong. . . let 'em come."

"It is not wise to expose ourselves to the fire nation," Iroh argued loudly.

"If you're so concerned about it, then I'll just kill 'em if they come!"

"You cannot resolve a problem like this with murder!"

Holly snarled ferociously at his comment, while small spits of smoke and fire turned into her breath through her nose. "What difference will it make wherever else we practice? That will only give us less time on the lesson and there would be no difference in exposure! This whole island is owned by the fire nation! We're just as exposed in that mansion as we are out here!"

Iroh closed his eyes. . . lowering his head.

* * *

Aang felt most comfortable just under the miniature oak tree. Sitting above its roots was lively to his spiritual mind as the avatar. He was alone in the large square of nature. He had it all to himself, and this time, he had no need to worry about Prince Zuko picking him up and leaving him in a blizzard to die, other fire nation soldiers taking his friends captive when he is not present, or any other scenario that is usually bound to happen in the heats of this war. It was the calmest morning that he has never experienced in a long time without further interruption. The environment was making it the easiest for Aang to slip right through the bridge to this world and the one that beholded the spirits.

Aang's translucent and transparant body appeared just beside his physical presence. Nothing around him was different at the moment he stood there. He had to look down at himself to check to see if he had actually made it to the spirit world because the only thing that changed was himself. He was sort of dissappointed that he wouldn't be in anything interesting like the forest he was in when he traveled there in the north pole.

After it had sunk it that he had successfully made it to the spirit world, he was stumped with the important question of how he was supposed to find answers. He usually gets lucky and someone finds him here one way or another. He was sort of hoping that Avatar Rokku, the avatar before him who is now his guide to becoming a fully realized avatar, would show up sometime soon.

"Avatar Rokku?" he called out, taking a few steps out from under the tree in the corner of the courtyard. His heart sunk when there was no reply. He could no longer hear any sounds of nature that he would usually pick up in the physical world. There were no birds chirpping, no sounds of the grass rustling when it brushed against your feet, and he couldn't even hear himself breathing. He can never get used to not feeling his own self prevailing whenever he comes here.

He called out Rokku's name again, but there was no luck. Crestfallen, he found the only thing left for him to try was to find someone near to see if anything could possibly be different. He decided to walk out towards the meadow where Holly was teaching Iroh how to defend the mobsters from Haven City.

Aang made his way across the courtyard in eerie silence. He stepped inside the doorway to the mansion, and instead of seeing the meadow through the doorway down the hall, a ghostly figure shot up from the ground in front of him, blocking his way. He was much more relieved then startled by the appearance. He took a step back and bowed to show his respects to his past life.

"Hello, Aang," Avatar Rokku greeted politely. "It is good to see you again."

He stood back up straight and put his arms to his sides. "It's good to see you too."

It was warming to see Rokku again. He looked just the same as always, being embellished with royal robes that represented the fire nation - a small portion of his long white hair was tied in a metal emblem of the fire nation insignia. His bright eyes were full of delight, which really made him feel more accepted into being guided by him.

"What brings you here?"

Now that he was this far, he never really thought about how he was going to word his question if he ever came across Rokku. He figured that it might be possible that he wouldn't even see him in the spirit world. His decision was much regretted.

Aang sighed. "Well. . . this really doesn't have anything to do with being the avatar, or anything. . . it's about my firebending teacher."

"You've found a firebending teacher," Rokku proposed diligently.

"Yes. Her name is Holly Haven."

The wize man hezitated. "That is an interesting name."

Aang nodded, scratched his head, and breathed deeply. "Well, she's not exactly a normal firebender because. . . her fire is white." He awaited for a reaction, and he was surprised that Rokku's eyebrows slowly lowered.

"I do not see how that can be possible," he responded, giving him a puzzled look. He could tell that he was thinking hard about something, but there was no way to determine if he was going to have any good information to help him out in his goal. For a small moment, he tried to look through Avatar Rokku to see if Iroh and Holly could be seen, but he could barely tell what was the floor and what was the ceiling in the hallway through his figure. Everything was a blur beyond him.

Having failed at that attempt, he focused his attention back on their conversation. "Why not?"

"There was only one being who was able to summon white fire. . . and that being was a spirit-"

"The Great Spirit of Fire," Aang interrupted. The look on the past avatar's face was showing unstableness. It didn't appear that he wanted to talk to him anymore, but once he asked his question, it was a different story.

"Do you know anything about her?"-

* * *

"Twi and La are the yin and yang, the opposties, and the spirits of the element of water. Their legends were passed down through generations, and are very important to the water tribe's history. They are famous in the water tribe's culture; There, too, were spirits of the element of fire. Only individuals from the fire nation that were lucky could be told of their story."

Aang could not see anybody, let alone Rokku, anywhere around him. He was standing in light. Brightness surrounded him. It was like he was floating in mid-air, but staying still in one place.

"There were two spirits of the firebenders. Instead of them being simply fish, they were dragons," Rokku explained, lowering his tone of voice. "The evil spirit was the black dragon, and good was white."

Suddenly, the brightness dimmed on the left side of him until it was drained of all light.

Two glowing red eyes popped out out of the darkness, illuminating much of its side. The eyes had a slight paleness, like they weren't all there, or not together somehow.

"The evil spirit was the only one of the two dragons who exposed itself to humans in its lifetime. It was to a group of people who were one of the first humans to set foot on the earth." Aang heard a strikingly low growl. He questioned it to be coming from the pair of eyes in the dark because the growl vibrated from under his feet and shook his up his spine, giving him an uncomfortable ring travelling through his head.

"It was never confirmed what kind of group it was at the time, but it is assumed by experts that the evil spirit, whom the fire nation sometimes refer to it as Angra, exposed itself to an organization, or business, of people. It did so because it wanted to take control of the world before it became any stronger. Angra wanted power over all. . . become superior to all others. . . leaving The Great Spirit of Fire to be inferior."

* * *

"If I'm correct, then it's possible to perform the move that kills without using the second source, but obviously, it's gonna be more difficult," Holly began. "You'll have to draw someone else's pulse away from them."

Iroh was entirely focused on Holly's words. It struck her, oddly, that he actually had nothing to say, or that he hasn't interrupted her yet. "It's likely that when attempting this, you won't be able to take away enough of their heartbeat to kill them, so all you do is give 'em a shock."

"I do not wish to be taught this move. Only to deflect it. . . if you recall?" Iroh said.

Holly didn't admit to her forgetfulness, or acknowledge it in any way. She stared at Iroh for a long moment, and then continued as if she was never mistaken. "To deflect the move, you need to have good eyesight. You need to know the exact time when that person is going to strike, and from what direction. You need to know what level of electricity is coming at you by feeling its capacity through their heartbeat before it even happens. You need to be able to go into a stance quick enough to keep you standing after it's over."

"What do I do, exactly, when one does confront me with their move?"

"Exhale as fast and as quick as you can, but move your energy all the way down to either your left or right foot - specifically in your heel." Holly paused. "Forgive me. . . it's sorta hard to explain," she smirked innocently. "When I mean exhale really hard, I mean to exhale as if you're stiffening your body, as if it's stone, so that it acts like it's a statue. If there is no breath, then there is much less of a chance for a strong pulse. To make yourself more impenetrable, you need to use your heel as a decoy for the unguided lightning. Don't let the lightning go all the way into your heel, because then you're in trouble. . . but you still skid it in any sort of direction where the lightning will implode and dissappear. . . once it ricochet's off the heel."

Iroh's expression did not change, and this worried her. Was she not explaining it good enough? She's never put the move into explaining words before because she mostly taught herself this move, so there was no need for words. At this point, it just comes natural to her.

"Could you possibly give me a demonstration? Without firebending, of course?" he asked politely.

"Well. . . I don't know how to really demonstrate when no one's coming at me. It's different every time. . ." Holly pondered. Hurting from standing in the same position for too long, she leaned on her good leg and took all of the weight off of her other. Her muscular arms crossed each other around her abbed torso. The small breeze in the air danced with her pieced and framed brown hair, and it tickled the side of her face. "When you deflect, the foot that you're using will skid out in front of you, and the one that you're not using skids in the opposite direction. They sort of shift places, but one they should never leave the ground. Just for my own convenience, I usually do the same movement with my arms to match my feet. You don't have to, but it's easier to get the deflection that way for me," she suggested to him. She has witnessed others do it otherwise, but those were the ones who usually failed at the move.

"So it sorta goes like this:"

Holly straightened her posture, putting her feet straightly next to each other and her arms at her sides. Less then a second later, her better leg skid in front of her about six inches, and her bad leg did the same behind her - she felt a sharp pain shoot up that leg, and she couldn't help but show it in her eyes. Her arms barely matched her legs because of it.

"You must have a great injury if you have difficulty moving at that speed, especially at your age." Iroh frowned.

"I'm not actually that terrible at it. It's always been perfect whenever I do it for real." Holly didn't want to blame it on her physical levels. It was actually her first time practicing the move since before she even perfected it. It was definately much different to practice it then to actually use it on somebody.

"I do not doubt you on that," Iroh said placidly. "When you are that close to having your last moment on earth, you can do extraordinary things. . ."

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Sokka groaned. His back hunched and his arms drooped. He could, at times, feel the tips of his fingers brush against the tops of the blades of grass as he forced his body to make its way through the meadow.

"Have some patience, Snoozles! I told you it's at the end of this meadow!" Toph snapped. She didn't prefer to be walking through tall grass either, because it was hard to tell where every single piece was. She could feel a few sharp blades snipping at her ankles.

"Can you guys be a little bit more quieter?" Katara asked in an inside voice. "We still don't know how the fire nation is yet on this island, and if they're dangerous, then they could capture us if they see us!" She was lucky enough to be wearing pale blue moccasins and black leggings to shield herself from the sharp grass. She couldn't figure out why Sokka and Toph were having such a problem. They were already past the section where it came past all of their heads.

There were a few trees up ahead, but through those leaves and branches, Katara could make out some kind of building on the other side of the trunks. "Isn't that it up a head, Toph?" she asked.

"Yup. And there's only a few firebenders up there."

They all started walking slower. It made them nervous that there were people from the fire nation just past those trees. Besides seeing Iroh again, they haven't met anyone new since they were all in Haven City, and the firebenders obviously already have barely a chance of being nice people. All three of them were starting to worry.

"Uh, should we just go up and say hi to them, or should we hide first?" Sokka asked, lowering his voice.

"If we hide from them, then we're never gonna get the food we want!" Toph hissed.

The two of them instinctively looked at Katara. She's the mother-figure of the group, so they find it natural to go to Katara when it comes to making decisions like this.

"I think we should just listen in for a little bit, like Sokka said. . . just to be on the safe side," she told them. Sokka nodded, and Toph regretably followed her orders. The three of them each had their own tree to hide behind. Toph made sure that she got the tree that was closest to the men, since she has the best hearing out of the three of them. There were so many loose twigs and branches scattered along the ground that it was hard to not make much noise when they crept behind the trunks. They were lucky to not be noticed.

". . . never saw her at all? Not once while you were there?" The trio caught one of the men in mid-question.

"Not one time," another man replied. "The only things I saw there was the damage that she caused, and that damage is the reason why I had to escape that place because the warden was spiraling out of control - and so were the rest of the people that were working there."

"Wow. . . aren't you lucky to get out of there in one piece?"

"There were some close calls. . . but Holly wasn't the only one who was causing trouble. There was another one who broke out just after her. . . I didn't physically see him escape, but I've met him before. He disguised himself as one of the staff members one day and I caught him wandering the halls. It was strange. . . because he was the one who told me about Holly first. . ."

Sokka, Katara and Toph looked at each other frantically. None of them knew what to do. They couldn't turn back because they would be too easily spotted.

"Well, Taro, all I can say is that it's a good thing you found it to Ember Island. It's technically fire nation land, but it's really just a vacation spot, so barely anyone comes here, and the war is no where to be found. It's probably the safest part of the fire nation, in my opinion."

"I'm so glad that I've found this place. It's a perfect getaway-"

Sokka stepped on a twig. The three of them held their breaths.

* * *

The sensation of Aang floating was unexpectedly cut off. He felt like he was dropping, or falling, into some deep and dark hole that never ends. The more he receted, the less bright it was on the right side. It was strange because he couldn't feel the rush of the wind rushing past his ears as he fell. He was falling in silence.

He bitterly regretted thinking back to why the pair of red eyes dissappeared before, because they appeared once more. This time, it was much more closer to him. The size of the eyes gave away the fact that it was an enormous creature. One of the red eyes had to be about the size of himself if he curled up into a ball.

Aang gasped. A thick line of electricity erupted even closer to his face. It illuminated the area like it was daylight. The lightning was tied together by two hugely curved horns pointing at each other. Behind this half-circle of a pair of horns with lightning going through both of them, was the face of a black dragon. Billowing black smoke fueled out of its big oval nose at the end of its black snout, which crinkled as it showed off its razor-sharp teeth that were as long as his entire arm. The dragon's eyes narrowed drastically. Its black scales were reflecting the lightning's intensity forcably through his own eyes. He panicked even more when the smoke stopped. Angra stared at him. He did not blink once. It made him feel falsably. . . tranquil for a moment. . . but then he took in a big breath -

Everything went black.

Aang was bombarded by the heavy booming, ear-splitting, and immensely incredible sound of the dragon's roar. The pressure of the loudness squeezed both of his ear drums in the same direction like he was being squished into two dimmensions. It was like someone threw him into a can, shut the lid, and shook the can back and forth like he was a moracca - like someone was grasping onto both sides of his head until his skull cracked - like someone was throwing each side of his head into metal sheets and feeling the vibrations travel back and forth in waves.

He was expecting for fire to come at him afterwords, and he thought he was right for a moment. Instead of it being fire, though. . . it was light.

Rokku appeared at his side once again, and he concluded his story:

"The Great Spirit of Fire, who is more commonly called 'Heaven' in the fire nation, heard of his plan to take over mankind, and took action to put a stop to it. They fought in an intense battle, which some say was the first Agni Kai to ever have been done with, over the fate of the first humans placed on earth. Both Angra and Heaven fought strong, but they were evenly matched. Heaven realized this after been fighting for a period of time, and she knew that one could not survive without the other because they were created as yin and yang. The only way for Angra to be rid of the earth for good was if they both were gone."

"So she gave up her life for the people. . . she gave up her life for all us us - even me!" Aang suddenly realized.

"None of us would be standing here today if it wasn't for Heaven's great sacrifice."


	27. One Step at a Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

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* * *

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There was never a time in Chris's life that there has been more then two people occupying his living room at a time. It was especially awkward for him to have two people from the fire nation, who he had just met, to be practically living in his house for these times being. After their mission of saving Azula from the prostitution business, they took a break for a couple of days to recooperate. Chris and Zuko agreed that it was best to allow Azula to heal physically and emotionally before making any plans. Chris allowed the two siblings to sleep in his bedroom while he slept on his couch in his living room. It was partly because it was a kind offering, but it was mainly because it was safer for them to sleep in the back of his penthouse if anyone were to ever break in.

That night, Chris had a dream. Dreaming was always something he has looked forward to because there was never one dream that he's had that Holly wasn't in ever since she left. Most of the time these dreams were good, but when something traumatic happens, such as when he rescued Azula, the dreams are not so good at all. His dream was a horrifying nightmare. He dreamt that Holly was the one laying in the bed unconscious. Chris ran up the stairs when he heard her scream, flew open the curtain and was witnissing her getting raped right in front of him by one of the dealers. He threw himself at the sick man, but before he could touch him, he was pulled back by a set of heavy arms. He fought with all of the strength that he had to make his way towards his love. He threw the first man over his shoulder and threw a fire ball at his face. The moment his hands were free, numerous dealers grabbed him and held him back. Subsequently, all of the men made no attempt to haul him down the stairs or knock him unconscious in any way to make the nightmare stop. He was being forced to watch Holly being thrusted over and over, being hit again and again, screaming at the top of her lungs until she ran out of strength to feel her physical pain. Then, the man pulled out and threw his innocent girl to the jagged wooden floors, pulled her up by the hair and shoved her mouth onto his evil self.

Azula was the first one to reach the living room and saw Chris kicking and breathing heavily in his sleep, obviously having a bad dream. She reached her hand out and nudged his shoulder. Chris reacted like he thought that she was one of the dealers holding him back in his dream and attacked her. Azula took a step back just in time before she was struck by his big hard fist. It was quite embarrasing for him to be caught in such a state since he had just met this girl. He apologized and notified her that he was honestly and strictly not the type to harm a woman. He knew that it probably wouldn't make much of a difference, though, because she still wasn't over what she had just been through. Without a word, she left the room and climbed back into his bed.

* * *

The morning came quickly - almost too quick for Chris. He didn't even feel like he got any sleep. It was the middle of the night for a moment when he woke up from his nightmare, and a blink later, the room was dimmed with light. With the absence of windows, you couldn't see half as much sunlight as you could in a normal house. It looked like it was barely dawn or evening in the living room. His insides churned uneasily, his throat was sore and his body uncomfortably cracked at any movement. He was truthfully not looking forward to starting this day. Usually, that are his thoughts every day without his girlfriend, but today it was even worse.

Chris stood up and stretched his joints. He stared at the portrait above his fireplace, entranced for a moment before continuing, and then moved on to walk down his hallway.

He peered into his bedroom. Zuko and Azula were already awake too. Azula was on the opposite side of his large bed, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. The swelling in her right eye had gone down, but she still couldn't open it enough to see out of it. There were still dry blood splatters and unkemptness to her dark hair, but there really wasn't much she can do about it.

Zuko was sitting at the edge of his bed with his face buried in his hands. When he was aware of Chris's prescence, he lifted it high enough to see him through his outgrown messy hair. Chris ticked his head upwards with no expression, and turned right into another room.

Chris called this his storage room. The room wore its name proudly, as it contained tons of miscellaneous objects varying from huge old books about the mob to old broken furniture to a supply of boxes filled with tobacco, paper rolls, alcohal bottles and lighters and ash trays. All of these items are completely ironic because Chris hasn't smoked a cigar in ages (besides that day he saw Holly for a split moment about a week ago), he has nobody to drink with, and he never reads. He thought that he might have extra food stored somewhere, but he didn't see anything. He checked in the small closet built in next to the doorway, but all that was in there were his hanging clothes and a file cabinet full of random papers. Crestfallen, he left the room with his head down and walked back to his bedroom to inform the other two.

"We have barely any food left. We need to set out today before it is dark and gather supplies." Zuko and Azula hadn't moved an inch since he left the room, and Azula made no change in expression when he spoke to them, assuming that she is exempt from it.

"This can't wait 'till tomorrow?" Zuko asked unbelievably.

"All I have in the house is enough bread for half a person and a pot of water to keep us alive for at least another week. I doubt it if the dealers fed Azula shit, she probably needs food," he explained.

"You're talking about me as if I'm not in the same room as you," Azula acknowledged annoyingly. "And even if you did have lots of food, I take no interest in it. I don't feel like eating at all. . ."

There was a slight pause. Zuko didn't want to be selfish about the situation, but it would be in their best interest to take a day off to recollect their minds. They have a lot of things to plan, which is really what their next goal is. To escape the mafia? To overthrow the leader? Find Holly and the avatar? Chris could only wish on that dream to actually become reality. . .

"Why don't we all gather up in my living room?" Chris said. "I'll be waitin' in there."

Chris pulled his front table across the room, resting up against the fire place, so he could use it as a chair for himself, leaving the sofa for Zuko and Azula. He sat at the edge of the wooden table, facing the couch with a sulky expression. His hands were interlocked with each other, resting on his lap loosely. His head hung over too far like it was too heavy for his neck to hold up. He finds no reason to be happy under these living conditions.

Zuko and Azula soon emerged from the little hallway. Both of them exchanged looks with the troubled young man and took their seats on the couch. Zuko has absalutely no posture and refrained from looking at anything but a distant wall that opposed the two faces around him. His sister, on the other hand, sat up straight as though she was sitting on her royal throne back in the fire nation, despite her new experience yesterday. Chris found it amazing that she has been so strong about the whole ordeal. Her courage reminded him of Holly in a way.

Chris was hoping that he wouldn't have to be the first one to speak. He gave them a long amount of time to say anything on their mind, but they were keeping everything inside. They have to have some kind of plan in their head, Chris thought, he was sure that they weren't intending on waiting out the entire war by taking over his house. He knows that these aren't those kinds of people.

"So what do you guys wanna do next?" he began. He raised his eyebrows at one, and then the other. Zuko turned his head and partly gazed at his own questioning face.

"I want justice," Zuko said, barely audibly to his ears. The look in his eyes spoke the truth.

"Of course you want justice, you're not the only one who wants to burn this mafia to the ground, but we need to have a plan first," he stomped his foot. "There are only three of us right now, and we barely have enough knowledge of how to take an even set of 'em down."

"It would be useless to try and take this business down," Azula proclaimed hopelessly. "There are too many of them. We are out numbered. I say we wait until my father takes over, then the fire nation will be on our side."

Zuko shot an astonishing look at his sister. She was still thinking like she was still the princess of the fire nation and any kind of militarial strategy could resolve any conflict in the mafia. She was struggling to cope about the truth of being alone. This was one of the things that she feared most, and still fears while sitting in the penthouse belonging to a gangster. The traumatizing experience that she's been having here is altering her mind.

"Don't you think if your father really cared about you, he wouldn't send useless fire nation soldiers to this land to retrieve you, but he would come here himself with equal numbers of men to fight?"

Azula raised her nose to the ceiling. "My father has many important duties as fire lord in his hands at the moment, and -"

"You're saying your father is too busy destroying other people's lives to come over here and save his only son and daughter? Fuck him, Azula. The fire nation is no match for the mobsters. There is one person that can put an end to this bull shit, here, and we can do nothing else until she is with us!" Chris stood up and pointed to the ground as he stomped on the ground once more at the end of his sentence.

"You're saying that we have to wait for your girlfriend to come back?" Zuko asked. "He's with the avatar, that means she could be anywhere by now!"

"She's teaching the avatar firebending to help end this war. She's not staying with him forever."

"So, basically, it's either wait for the fire nation or wait for Holly?" Azula asked, narrowing down the odds. She squared her shoulders after the two pairs of eyes were on her.

"I already said that we don't even have the fire nation as an option, Azula! The mobsters despize the fire nation, too," he added. He calmed himself down with a sigh and began pacing back and forth. He couldn't let Azula get to him. "I've been doing a bit of research while Holly's been gone, and I think it'd be best for her to challenge the leader on the day of Sozin's comet. I just haven't figured out how there would be enough people to battle the rest of the mobsters. . ."

"Wait a minute," Azula interrupted. "Are you telling me that I have to work against my own kind? I'll have you know that I will be taking my father's place one day on the rightful throne! And besides, I cannot battle side-by-side with the bitch that took down my air ship." She crossed her arms stubbornly and looked away from the two boys. Zuko planted his face back in his hands, knowing the consequences that she will recieve from her choice of words. He was already feeling a headache coming on.

"If you wanna act like a fucken immature bitch like that, then fine. If you have no class to cooperate with someone with a little bit more of a diverse culture then yours, and you wanna wait for your son of a bitch father to save your prissy little ass, then that's fine by me. Just go wait for your father somewhere else, 'cause if you're gonna disrespect me like that, then you don't deserve to use my house as your own little sanctuary. Get outta here and go back to the prostitution business where you belong."

Azula was hit by a bombshell. Her hands clenched into fists in her lap and her whole body started to shake in despair. Chris watched in remorse and regret as tears began to flow down her good and bruised eye all the same. Chris followed Zuko's actions.

Azula stood up. "This isn't what I signed up for," she said shakily. "As a matter of fact, I didn't even choose to live in your house in the first place. This is just the place that I happened to wake up from. I don't even wanna be here, I just want to go home and have things back to normal!" She broke down at last, and Chris felt terrible for it.

". . . Look, Azula. . . odds are that everyone in the fire nation thinks you're dead right now, along with your brother, and they're not gonna try to find you if they think you're dead. The only way for you to go back to your home is to help do your part with this plan just this once. All of us: Me, you, your brother, _and_ Holly have one thing in common: we all want this business to come to an end. . . If you set your differences aside for the sake of your own life, then maybe things _can_ go back to normal."

Chris waited for a response. He paid no attention to Zuko, who was the only one still sitting after their argument, and his face was still invisible under his ash-black hair. He pinched the bridge of his nose to attempt to get rid of his pulsing headache. He awaited for his sister's response.

"I. . . need a moment to think." She walked past Chris with her head facing the floor, most likely heading for his own bedroom.

Chris didn't know what to do at this point. He looked left and saw the rest of Azula disappear into the hallway. He looked right at the blank wall staring back at him. He looked forward, and Zuko still avoided his eye contact.

"So - what? You've got nothing to say?"

"Your strategy of convincing Azula that everything is gonna go back to normal after Holly comes back and challenges this leader might work now, but what happens when she finds out that the avatar is going to kill our father during the comet?" Zuko kept his voice down, but he let his hands down from his face so his lips could be read.

Chris huffed at his question, even though he knew that he had a good point. "Why else would Holly be teaching him firebending?"

"Why is it best that Holly comes back on the day of the comet?"

Chris took a step back and sat back down on the table in the same position that he was in originally. "Ironically, the mobster's weakest point is natural firebending. On a normal day, Holly can take down 'bout twenty mobsters with her fire. And when I did more research on Holly's fire, I -"

"What's so great about Holly's fire?" Zuko asked obliviously.

"She bends white fire," he explained. "It's the hottest substance that exists."

Zuko made a confused expression as if he recodnized what he was talking about. ". . . Isn't there a legend about something like that?"

"Yeah. I just found out about it 'bout a year ago. It's supposed to be a real big blessing because the first person - well, dragon, to ever be a firebender had white fire, and it's supposed to be the closest substance to this weird energy that people used to bend before the elements came along. . . It's kinda hard to explain. I can barely make sense of it, still. But anyway, what I found out a couple weeks ago is that when the first fire spirit lived on the day of a comet kinda similar to Sozin's, she became the most dangerous firebender on the planet. I don't really know how or why exactly, but if that's true or not, she's gonna have an advantage either way because everyone's firebending enhances during the comet." After he was done explaining, Zuko stared at him for a while to absorb all of the information he was given.

"It's sort of weird that Holly has been. . . pretty much a gangster her whole life, but at the same time, she's gifted with a gift that's completely opposite of what she's used to."

Chris sighed. "In a way, your sister's going through some of the same things that she's had to deal with. It's prob'ly why their personalities crash so easily."

There was another pause. The silence was calming to the two of them, until they heard the sound of Azula's cries in the background.

"I think the only thing we should focus on right now is to help my sister get through this. We still have a while before the comet comes," Zuko declared.

Chris nodded. He realized that he was going to far ahead too quickly. He should not have thrown so many things at Azula and Zuko all in one day. They all need to take things one step at a time. "Okay. I'll take that for now. . . but we don't have as much time as you think. These next few weeks are gonna go by fast. . ."

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**This is a pretty short chapter, but I still think it works :) I wanted another chapter dedicated to something other then the gaang again, and this will probly not be the last time. Just tryin' to mix it up a bit :D**

**And I apologize again for the lack of updates. I have too many things going on! I can't put up a chapter every week like I used to! :/**

**Review please (:**


	28. Unreliable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Hello :) just a quick request before I begin the next chapter: Could I get some more feedback? I don't know wether you all like the story or not! I'm happy for all the favorites and subscriptions, though (: Thank you.**

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Sokka, Katara and Toph held their breaths. They tried to keep as still as possible, even though it's much more difficult under pressure. Katara and Toph looked at Sokka with the same angry look on their faces, and Sokka tried to act like the innocent guy. He slightly squared his shoulders behind the tree trunk with a panicked look on his face. The two girls were highly exasperated.

"Who is there?" one of the men asked.

Obviously, none of the three conveyed a response.

"Show yourselves, or we attack," the other composed. There was the sound of rustling grass beyond the trees. Toph felt them get into a firebending stance. Her first impression was that they must mean business. She could not see no other way around this. There was no other way to leave the scene without being seen because of the lack of vegetation. Toph looked at the other two to see if they agreed. They all nodded. Especially if they have information on Holly that they could easily spread to the rest of the fire nation, it would definately be a risk to let them go.

Katara and Sokka stepped out into the clearing, while Toph didn't need to in order to fight. She could see them just fine from where she was. Toph shifted one foot forward to sink the first man's ankles in the earth, and repeated the move with her other foot on the other. She founded it appropriate to do a round of questioning to see what else they know. Katara was already one step ahead of her.

"How do you two know Holly Haven?" she ordered. Long streams of water swirled around her arms in her waterbending stance. Sokka's moon sword was out and ready to strike. Both of the fire nation men had trouble standing up straight and lost their balance. Both pairs of hands awkwardly kept their faces from planting into the grass. One of the men looked quite young and healthy. He had rich dark hair that was let free in front of his eyes. He had a good sense of muscle, but was a little on the short side. The other looked much more bulky and had a lot more years etched in the wrinkles of his face. There was more gray than brown color to his extra short hair. Their outfits were matching, but Toph guessed that was strictly for their disguise.

"I am the only one who has any connection with her, but I have never met her personally." Toph didn't know why she bothered to ask that question when that was clearly what he said a minute ago, and judging by the vibrations of his heartbeat, it was just as the truth as it was the first time. It came to her as a surprise that neither of them were trying that hard to escape. Now that she sees them further, she became to realize that they didn't seem to pose as a threat to her. One did say that they would attack, but to her it only sounded like he said so for their own safety. Toph was the first one to regret her judgment.

"What kind of connection?" Katara asked. Toph could feel the sense of redemption in her skipping heart beat.

"I was a part of the staff at The Boiling Rock, the fire nation prison, when Holly was there for a year. I was never directly assigned to her, but I was working on certain duties for the effect of what she's done there." His response was sincere, and after hearing it, Toph thought that it was ridiculous to question these men. They obviously are not like other people from the fire nation if they oppose the war. Their intentions are harmless.

"He's telling the truth, Katara. They're obviously not here to enforce the war if they want the same kind of peace as we do," she proposed. Sokka seemed to agree, but Katara still needed a bit more convincing.

"We do not wish to a part of the war. That is the main reason why we are here," the larger man said.

"I worked at The Boiling Rock as a simple employee for the simple fact that I believe that the war is corrupt, just as you do. I have no intentions of capturing Holly Haven (unless I am suicidal, of course), or even the avatar, for that matter. I am only here to have a break in the madness going on in the rest of the world."

Sokka and Katara looked at Toph. She nodded at the both of them. They were telling the truth. She removed their feet from the earth and took a step back.

"So. . ." Sokka began. "If Holly Haven _and_ the avatar happened to be on the same island as you right now - hypothetically speaking, of course: you wouldn't turn them into the fire lord?"

"Well, I don't know about Taro, but I actually believe the theory that the avatar can restore balance to this messed up world. That's what we all really need. This war has done nothing but ruin people's lives and kill the innocent," the bulkier one explained. His explination seemed like he has said those same words so many times that they are memorized.

"What about Holly?" Toph asked.

"Holly Haven _and_ that crazy mob boss Mainyu are definately something to worry about." The three conjectured the one's name was Taro.

"I can agree with half of that, but Holly's actually helping the avatar. She's on our side," Sokka assured. He folded his arms and scanned Taro and the other man of their reactions. He was siding with Toph about these two.

"So you're saying that Holly Haven and the avatar are both here? How would you know that? Do you know them personally?" Taro asked the three of them. He looked like he was genuinley excited to meet such legends. They are the greatest firebender in the world and the avatar. Who wouldn't want to meet them?

"Why do you want to know? What, do you want to meet them?" Katara was still being rough on them, but she was doing a terrible job in intimidating them when Sokka and Toph were acting in the complete opposite way.

"Could we? I know that we've just met, and all, but let us properly introduce ourselves: I'm Huang, and this here is Taro," the smaller man waved slightly awkwardly to Katara, Sokka and Toph. "We've just met a few days ago, actually. I've been livin' here for quite awhile up by the beaches."

"Does everyone live by the beaches on this island?" Toph asked curiously. She didn't mean to change the subject too much, but Huang and Taro were interesting.

"Most of the island isn't even occupied by anyone. There a few markets behind us, but other then that, everyone's too scared to live anywhere else because of the hysteria from the war," Huang explained. The three of them exchanged shocking looks. "Don't get me wrong, though! Nobody's actually seen any of the soldiers from the war here in ages. I guess we feel safer near the ocean, for some sort of reason. . ." He stroked his quite shabby goatee in thought.

"I'm Katara." She waterbended her water back into her pouches that were tied around her hips. "This is my brother, Sokka, and this is our friend, Toph. We're travelling with Holly Haven and the avatar. Holly is teaching Aang firebending before he defeats the fire lord on Sozin's Comet." She noticed Huang's eyes widen, but he tried to make it unnoticable.

"Could you introduce us?" Huang asked calmly.

"Well. . . Aang's sort of busy, but I don't think Holly will mind if we give her a break from teaching Iroh," Katara pondered. She was trying to make up her bitterness, but she had a feeling she was being a bit too generous for two people she has just met.

"You mean. . . The Dragon of the West? The Fire Lord's brother?" Huang was certainly shocked in some way to have all of these important people standing on the same island as him.

"We'll lead you to them, if you want," Toph offered with a grin.

Sokka slowly began to question if they were ever going to make it to the markets to get what they needed. This was definately becoming a waste of time to him.

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The sun was always a comfortable thing to be under, but today it seemed to be so much hotter. Holly has never trained this hard since she trained herself under Mainyu's orders. Even then, it was easier. There is practically no existing humidity in that desert, and Ember Island has plenty of it that she's not used to. For once, her shaggy hair got annoying to her for sticking to the forehead and edges of her face more than usual. She felt sores in the joints of her knees from shifting time after time again.

Although, she was thankful for her youthfulness by standing in front of a man three times her age and doing identical exercises. It was a healthy thing for both of the great firebenders to finally get a bit of a workout.

"Why don't you do it one more time by yourself, and then we'll call it quits," Holly proclaimed under her heavy breaths. Her lung capacity was weakening. She wiped the beads of sweat off of her face by the forearm before it dripped off the tips of her nose and lips. She shook her head like a dog and swiped both of her hands through her light brown hair as an attempt to lift it out of her face, but the moment her hands dropped back to her sides, the strands of hairs drooped back to their original spots. Her eyelids closed. Her open pores sensed the extreme warmth from the sun like it could soak it up and the light would live inside of her.

"You have made it back so soon? I don't see any supplies." Iroh's voice rang in Holly's head.

She opened her brilliant eyes and turned around. The pair zoomed in on Katara, Sokka, and Toph, at first, but the moment she sensed a different presence, that was what she fixed her sight on. Something wasn't right. Two fire nation men walking with those three? They were heading directly to her and Iroh.

"We have a couple of people who want to meet Holly." Katara spoke to Iroh just as she made it to the clearing of the field, eventually joined by Toph, Sokka, Huang and Taro, who looked extremely nervous and awkward hiding behind the three. Taro had his hands behind his back and swirled the end of his ankle around the blades of grass, while Huang kept his face down at his twiddling thumbs. Holly noticed he was avoiding to expose his face. Something uneasy churned in the pit of her stomach. Having no other choice, she took a step forward.

Holly Haven gazed at the two men suspiciously as she continued walking. "A couple of people. . . from the fire nation?" Her diamond-like eyes switched to Katara. It was her first instinct that she was up to this.

"There is no need to hold their place from this world against them," Iroh said, just audible enough for Holly to hear as she halted her approach in front of the gaang.

Huang and Taro lifted their heads in sync with one another, but with mixed reactions. Taro looked astounded at seeing Holly Haven for the first time. Holly guessed that he wasn't expecting a young girl just above five feet tall to be who she was. Huang, on the other hand, unknowingly flashed a bit of dismay. Holly examined Huang as close as she could with the small amount of time that she had. She knew in the pit of her soul that there was something off about him. The way he presented himself was enduringly convincing to other people, but it was only his eyes that gave away his true mask. This man was a firebender. The source of his fire must determine wether his intentions are good or evil.

"Holly Haven: It is an honor to finally meet you." Taro bowed his respects. "I've heard so many great things about you."

"As have I, Miss Haven. . . as have I," Huang said whistfully.

"I didn't know I was this well known in your nation," Holly stated placidly. She can play innocent, as well. She tried her best to not sound like a threat.

"You're are the first person to ever escape The Boiling Rock prison successfully and never have been caught by the crime, and the rumor of your snow-white firebending _spread_ like wild fire throughout the four nations," Huang explained.

"I thought the legend of my bending was only told to a handful of people. . ." Holly scratched the side of her head. Ever since this morning, even she barely knew anything about The Great Spirit of Fire.

"Well, those handful of people told another handful of people, and those people told others, until eventually, everybody knew what the story was. Now, you're just as wanted to the Fire Lord as the avatar."

Holly raised her eyebrows at the same time her lips turned into a frown. "Hm. . ." She had a very good judgment on who Huang really is. She does not want to risk keeping him around to find out if she is right. They all stood in an uncomfortable silence while Holly debated over and over again on what she should do. Just when she was about to open her mouth, she was interrupted by Huang.

"Why are you teaching the former General Iroh instead of the avatar, Miss Haven?"

Every time the two words Miss and Haven were used to address her, it made her insides squirm. She has not been called that since she was the leader of the mafia. Even then, she didn't prefer that name. Secondly, she knew that it was none of his business who or why she's teaching anybody. Katara, Sokka and Toph must've already gave out too much information to them already, and now he's interested in hearing more.

She still didn't know what she thought of Taro. He seemed like a humble man to her. There was no hint of any ounce of evil in his face. . .

"I was merely visiting with Miss Haven until now," Iroh lied. "I must be going if I am to make it to my next destination on time-"

"You're leaving _now_?" Toph groaned.

Iroh laughed deeply and folded his hands together inside of his long sleeves. "Oh, I am sure that we will see each other again after the avatar brings an end to this terrible war. It was a true blessing to see you three again." Iroh turned and faced Holly. He bowed to her, and said, "I am honored to have been taught by such an amazing firebender, Miss Haven. I really do believe you are _the_ master of fire, and The Great Spirit who created such powerful energy so long ago."

Holly smiled at the wise old man and bowed back.

"Good bye, and good luck to you all."

"You, too, Iroh." Katara waved goodbye along with the rest. "Have a nice trip!" Toph said.

Iroh turned his back and began walking back to the mansion.

"Wait."

Iroh stopped walking. Holly breathed deeply before speaking again.

"If you happen to run into Cris - my boyfriend. . ." She took another breath. "Could you let him know that I'm okay, and tell him that I miss him, but I'll be home soon?"

He turned his head over his shoulder and nodded.

Holly chose to not watch him walk away. She turned her head down to the side. A soft zephyr of clean air tickled against her warm face and danced with her hair. . . Her eyes flicked up instantly as she noticed Huang staring at her. She did not resist to look angry. After a moment, a low rumble escaped her lips. Luckily, her growl was not loud enough for any other ears to pick up besides maybe Toph's, who did jump a bit the moment the vibration traveled to her feet.

"Well, now you've two met Holly! I'm sure we'll see you two some other time, it was nice talkin' with ya, bye!" Sokka urgingly lead Huang and Taro back into the tall grass until he made sure that they would continue to walk away from them. Before they left, Holly caught the emotion of anger and greediness as Huang was being shoved away from the group.

Toph waited until she was for sure that they were far enough away that they wouldn't be able to hear any of them, and then said, "There's something weird about that Huang guy. . . I thought he was okay at first, but -"

"You _thought_ he was _okay at first_?" Holly asked unbelievably. She looked at the three of them individually and waited for a response. After a long moment of her watching them panic, but with no response, she continued. "How old are you guys again? Didn't any of your parents or gaurdians ever tell you to never talk to strangers? Especially when they're from the _fire nation_?" Her voice raised a couple of octaves.

"We asked them if they were on our side, and Toph said that they weren't lying!" Katara snapped. She thought that Holly was being ridiculous.

"So what if Toph thinks they weren't lying! Is Toph always right when it comes to detecting honesty? No, because judging off of one's heartbeat is an unreliable source!" She bellowed, throwing her arms above her head angrily enough for streams of white to escape her fists. "And so what if they are on our side, that still doesn't change the fact that they could have connections to those who are against us. . . I mean, come on, guys, you don't know who those people are! You don't know what they're actually like or what they're capable of doing with the intentions of it or not!

"I thought you'd at least be acting a little less pathetic, and you'd still have bought supplies for us. . ."

Holly was fed up in trying to give them a lecture. She has said all that needed to be said. She started walking straight back to the mansion where she could finally visit with someone who doesn't make her want to rip her hair out.

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**I'm planning on my next chapter being a bit more fluffy then usual :) I've only begun to scratch the surface on Holly and Aang's relationship so far, and I'm also planning on bringing some more shippings into the story. Thanks for reading! R&R**


	29. The Connection

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

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She was drowning herself in her own anger. Nothing else could be thought of accept that one thing that provoked her. Why would any of them even talk to someone from the fire nation? Her and Katara just got on better terms this morning, and they already have something else to fight about. She was aware of nothing and her peripheral vision diminished. It was no wonder that she didn't notice the fact that she was walking normally with no complications (besides her troubled lungs, of course), but she has not felt the absence of physical ache in the muscle in years. And there was no celebrating it now.

Holly thought that she was going crazy. There she was, standing just in front of the mansion at an angle where she could see partly inside of the courtyard. There, next to the tree, sat an unconscious avatar in meditive position. Yet, there was another one standing even closer to her, but he didn't appear very clear to her vision. This was the first time that she has seen any kind of blurry image and it confused her greatly. The sunlight shining through the courtyard behind him also shined through the Aang closest to her. He was sort of transparent.

The one standing in the hallway glanced back at her at first, and then jumped a bit when he looked a second time. Both pairs of eyes locked in with one another as if they were connected in some way. Holly stared the hardest. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Behind this Aang, there was still the other one in the yard. Holly wasn't seeing things, but what else could explain what was right in front of her?

". . . Can you see me?" the hallucientive Aang asked.

Holly stood there for a moment, bewildered. So perplexed, that she could not speak. Was Aang dead? Is that Aang's dead body behind them and this is the ghost? Why is he here to haunt her? Obviously, she couldn't just stand there and hope that her questions would be answered. She responded by walking up to the mysterious figure.

Their arms moved forward and their hands reached outward to each other at the same time. Holly could tell that he was just as shocked as she was. After all, he was supposed to be finding out about her own past by going to the -

The instant she connected her fingertips to his, she saw a bright flash of light that lasted less then a second, and then she turned the same color and texture as him.

"I knew it, Holly," Aang began. His voice sounded a bit more stretchy through the wavelengths. He looked like he was having an epiphany. He did not blink once this whole time they looked at each other. "I knew it from the day that we met - once I saw you up close, I knew I had some kind of connection with you. I knew deep inside, but I couldn't figure out what it was until now."

"Wh - what are you talking about?" Holly studdered. Her stubborness was slipping away from her. She was no longer the smooth Holly that she always was without Aang. She didn't even know _what_ kind of thing she was right now.

"Holly: You're The Great Spirit of Fire, that stuff is all true! We always feel drawn to each other because you have that spirit inside of you and I'm the bridge between the spirit world and the normal world. The fact that you could just see me in the spirit world when you weren't in it is proof that you are one." Aang sounded so excited and happy to finally approve of all of the theories that have been buzzing around Holly's head for so long, but it was different for Holly herself.

"I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about, Aang, I think I accidently smelled some weird flower essence when I was walking through the fields a few minutes ago, 'cause you're not makin' any sense right now. . ." She didn't want to dwell on Aang's strange appearance. She bowed her head to the ground and stared at her pixilated feet.

"I'm telling the truth, Holly." Aang placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "I'm not making any of this stuff up. Avatar Rokku, the avatar before me, was from the fire nation a long time ago and he told me the story about the fire spirits. He said that there were two of them: the black one is Angra, and the white one is Heaven, which kind of sounds like Haven, doesn't it?"

Holly raised her head to meet his eyes once more. "Do you seriously think that I could be some kind of a -" She caught herself in mid-sentence. She tripped over her own voice and lost it quickly.

"What?"

"Did you just say Angra. . . ? As in. . . Angra. . Mainyu?"

"Yeah, Rokku said that was his name." Aang watched her stare out into space. He was expecting her to make something else happen somehow, but she just stood there, dumbfounded. During this long pause, he realized his hands were still resting on her heavy shoulders. Slightly awkwardly, he slipped his hands back to his sides, but he didn't bother to step back. He already is this close to her. Now, he can't stay too far away.

". . . I don't know how in the living hell this Rokku guy can think that Angra 'nd I are some kind of. . . yin and yang _dragons_? I don't even act like a dragon, do I?"

Aang quietly reminisced through his head how many times Holly has growled abnormally deep whenever she gets tempered, breathes smoke out of her nose when dealing with great emotion, and has flown through the skies just as skillfully as a master airbender ever since he has met her, and there were numerous occurences.

"Well. . . now that I think about it, you do, sometimes," he admitted, scratching the side of his head.

"Oh, so you're just saying that if I just, like, breathe fire right now in the spirit world, then maybe it could trigger the 'inner spirit inside me' and I'll turn into this huge white dragon?" Holly completely made up that idea at the top of her head, but she regretted mentioning it. She did not want to admit to him that she can actually breathe fire quite efficiently.

"That would be the most perfect idea right now, but, unfortunately, you can't use bending in the spirit world. . ." Aang became crestfallen.

Holly commented under her breath, "Well isn't that sort of convenient?"

The two of them stood in mere silence. Aang's breath tickled just against the edges of her nose and face when he sighed stressfully. It began to sink in that they were standing very close to each other. There wasn't even twelve inches seperating them. She honestly and genuinely didn't like this spirit world. She hasn't witnissed anything exciting about this place, and from what she's heard back from the mob, it's supposed to be a pretty exotic place. The only exotic thing about it is that it takes away her bending to make her feel utterly vulnerable. Without her firebending, she realized, that her eyesight is poor.

Holly no longer had those glowing golden eyes that stuck out like a sore thumb if you turned all the lights out. They were normal as anyone else's. Her eyes were chestnut brown.

"We should probably get back to our bodies. Especially before anyone sees you laying passed-out in the middle of the hallway," Aang commented bemusingly. He eyed at the figure she guessed to be her own physical body just behind her.

Holly turned around reluctantly. Sure enough, there she was, sprawled out inside of the doorway leading into the hall. Her face was planted into the dark tiled floors and she was sitting on top of her knees. She thought to herself at how horrible that's going to feel when she gets back to her physical body.

She didn't want to look like she didn't know what she was doing because she honestly didn't know how to return back to physical form. She looked over her shoulder at what Aang was doing, and all it was was him walking back to the courtyard where he actually layed. Holly lifted her foot above her body and lowered it as slowly and carefully as possible.

That white flash popped into her head and vision again, and before she knew it, she felt the cold floor tiles pressing up against her face. As her eyelids lifted, she thanked the spirits for the clear images that she was used to. Holly could see every spec of dust that was covering the tile. If she wanted to look harder, she could probably see the tiny cells that make up those specs. Her senses feel more surreal to her when she's in the normal world. It was strange.

She wanted to take this one step at a time. First, she situated her knees properly so when she lifts her torso, she will be knealing on the floor. Then, she placed both hands on either side of her head. Before she could lift herself up, she noticed Aang standing right over her, reaching out to hold her hands and assist her. Holly didn't complain nor reject his kind offer. Aang almost literally lifted her off the ground and swept her off of her feet. They gazed at each other again intensely.

Before anything could continue, Aang heard the sound of rustling tall grass back outside. Soon enough, Katara, Sokka and Toph appeared, all looking quite dissatisfied.

"Aang! Have you seen Iroh?" Katara urgently asked.

The sound of Katara's voice made Holly cringe.

"No, I haven't. I just got back from the spirit world," he said. Holly wondered why he didn't inform them that Holly was just there, as well.

"How is Iroh going to make it to Haven City without Appa?"

Holly jumped a bit and started to panic deep inside. She knew for a fact that he can't fly because normal fire cannot produce enough energy to keep a person above ground. Aang seemed to instinctively look at Holly for an answer. Instead of wasting time wondering why this was so, Holly ordered everybody to check the rooms for Iroh. . . while she had a slightly different plan in mind.

Everyone went their own way and seperated once they all reached the foyer in the front of the mansion. Holly continued to power walk to the front door.

"Holly, where are you going?" Aang asked.

"Find Iroh," she mumbled under her breath, not stopping once to explain any further. Instead of Aang following the other three down each ends of the hallways, he followed her. He watched her fly out of the mansion with much better smoothness that he has ever seen with a body like her's. The usual limp that was in her steps was no longer there. He couldn't figure out what has made today so special. It's like she literally woke up today and her body was completely healed.

And Holly noticed it just when he did. It has been so long since there was no pain in any part of her body that she doesn't even remember the last time there wasn't. An addrenaline rush sinked in, and soon, that characteristic inside her that has been dormant for almost two years sprung to life. As soon as she stepped out of the threshold of the mansion, and her skin was exposed to the sun, she ran. She was running so fast through the blades of grass, that she left a trail of ash behind her because of her unintentional firebending. Aang was forced to cheat with his airbending to catch up with her. He had no idea that she has always been a skillful runner.

She halted herself just before she made it to the beaches to avoid being seen by the fire nation. Aang put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "How did you learn to run like that?" he asked.

It didn't surprise him that he recieved no reply. He stood next to her and tried to study her face. Her unique shiny hair blinded him at a certain angle when the wind flowed its layers around the sides of her face because it reflects light. It covered her eyes quite well from where he was standing. All he could see was eerie smoke being carried away by the wind that came from her own breath. These types of actions _did_ make her look dragon-like, now that he knew to finally compare it.

"He's riding on the back of this really big. . . lizard thing. I don't know where the hell he would get one of those from. . ." Holly spoke just loud enough so only Aang could barely hear her words. It was like she knew other people were standing around trying to eavesdrop.

"Do you think he stole it?"

Holly certainly could not classify someone like Iroh to be a thief in her own mind, but she has no other ideas on how he acquired such a creature on a secluded island in the fire nation.

She turned her head left, looking past Aang's head into the man-made houses placed on the shoreline. First, she zoomed in on the house closest to them because her sight sensed something wrong. Immediately afterwords, she had just enough time to get a long enough glimpse of a man's face peeking out of his doorway before his head slipped back inside. Her senses reminded her that it was Huang, the man Katara, Sokka and Toph so kindly introduced her to. She studied the rest of his house before cutting off her sharp vision. A rather large hawk was standing on one of his windowsills, with the fire nation emblem inscribed around on one of its legs.

"Holly?" Aang asked worryingly. "What else do you see?" He clearly noticed something frightening happen to Holly's eyes. Not only did its brightness increase by one hundred percent, but her pupil's shape changed form into near vertical slits. She breathed heavily, and after a long moment of self-panic, her eyes moved back to its normal shape in less then a second when she looked back at him.

"We're being watched," she whispered. Then, she confidently pronounced, "If we spend one more night at this island, then we're gonna wake up to the Fire Lord standing before us the morning next."

Aang most definately believed her, but by no means did he know by she would be able to figure these things out.

"I'll explain when we get back to the mansion."

The rest of the three were standing right in the foyer room, waiting for Holly and Aang's return. Sokka was the one pacing back and forth, looking the most nervous out of the two other girls, who looked determined to figure out a plan on to what to do next. Katara was the first one to react when they stepped back into the darkened room.

"Did you find Iroh?"

"He's fine," she assured. "I dunno how he managed to do it, but he got a hold of this swimming reptile to use as his guide. He's already set out into the ocean."

Katara and the other two let out breaths of relief.

"There's something else," Holly blurted out. She didn't want them getting too comfortable with the small bit of good news that she had. She now had everybody's attention. "Aang and I were standing out in the beach, and I saw Huang watching us from inside his house."

"Well, that seems a bit creepy," Sokka commented, questioningly lowering his eyebrows.

"That's not all it, though," she urged them. "I saw a messenger hawk sitting in his window. I knew from the start that someone was watching us the minute we stepped on the beach. He only wanted you guys to introduce Aang and I so he could make sure it was actually us before he turned us in into the real fire nation. I reckon he's already sent the hawk by now. . ."

"How could I be so _stupid_?" Toph stomped her foot. "I was the one who convinced Katara and Sokka that they weren't bad people because their heartbeats seemed normal -"

"We can't waste our time blaming ourselves about this right now," Aang said. Holly was relieved that he was finally being the leader of the group like he should. "We've stayed here too long, anyway. Let's just worry about packing everything up and leaving this island before sundown."

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The only thing Holly really had to pack from this point has all been stolen from this mansion. A couple of extra sets of fire nation outfits were nipped from the dressers in this room for her to try on in the future (the clothes from Haven City were depressing to her, and it definately made her stand out). She snatched a couple of hand-made candles from the dining room. And, after realizing that she was without something to sleep with at night, she stripped the bed of its blankets and sheets and pillows and stuffed them in the small bag that she was limited to by the rest of the gaang.

She was going to miss this room. This was the only time in her life that she has slept in a decent bedroom before (if she didn't count Chris's). It reflected nothing of poor conditions that represented living a life with limited or no resources (which was a nice way of wording that it didn't remind her of living in Haven City). Holly could not imagine Iroh arriving at such a horrid place to search for some of his long-lost family. It was despicibale that he is forced to go there for himself. She just couldn't believe want kind of a world they're living in at this point. She just hopes that in helping the avatar fulfill his destiny, this world will finally have some balance to it. But Holly knows, deep inside, that even if the Fire Lord is put in his rightful place. . . the world will still never be the same with Angra Mainyu continuing to live.

Mainyu is a firebender, as well. Surely, he must be aware of what Sozin's comet does to firebenders. Who knows what he could be planning for that day. . . and who was going to stop him with the avatar busy with the other evils in the world?

Holly threw the over-stuffed bag over her shoulder with ease, put out the one lit candle on the night stand next to the bed with one lazy swipe of the arm, and turned her back on the room. She really had to get used to travelling everywhere. She has basically stayed in Haven City her entire life, and now she's about to move to a third location in almost a week.

Entering the hallway, she quickly realized she was probably the last one to gather her things and make her way outside where Appa is. . . probably. That was the key word. It was barely thought of because she was so bummed about leaving the mansion.

She at least expected one or two people hanging out in the foyer to help carry luggage outside, but no one was there either when she looked farther up ahead. But the front door was open. Something about that erked at her brain that it's a sign of something. Then again, it's probably so when they carry the supplies, they don't have to bother opening and closing it every time they walk in and out of the mansion.

She took one step in the clearing of the opened door, and the moment she did, the earth's time slowed. Holly's peripheral vision saved her life. A two-foot long, cleanly sharpened bow was caught at the exact right time before it hit her face. No damage was made. It was a close call, but she did not panic the slightest, and instead, merely raised her eyebrows at the unique craftsmanship. Tauntingly, she twirled the tall bow in her small hands like a baton - until it bored her, of course, so then it combusted into ash in one blink of an eye.

The battle was felt underneath her feet before she even looked outside of the mansion (clearly, it was Toph earthbending). The fire nation was attacking much sooner then she thought. Why did she have to take so long packing up? She saw Toph, Katara and Aang brutally fighting twice as many firebenders that surrounded them. Toph was taking on two firebenders at once. It was astounding to her that she had the courage to battle an element that could not be felt through vibrations. She was still standing her ground. Katara used waves of water that she retracted from the ocean to put out their flames, and used other forms of waterbending to finish them off. Aang, who has been taught barely any firebending since Holly has joined them, had to use the other three elements to defend himself. The people that were non-benders stood far off into the distance with bows and arrows at the ready. They must be very skillful archers, indeed, to have been able to get such a clear shot of Holly from so far away.

Jogging out of the mansion, her bag dropped and left back inside, it hit her that Sokka was not helping with the battle. She craned her neck to the side of the mansion where Appa was being kept. Aang's other pet, Momo, who she's only seen a couple of times since she joined the group, flew right past her head and landed on the one person throwing everything on Appa's saddle.

Three times the many arrows were sent directly to the side of her head. Holly flung herself backwords. Her right arm swung up first, just when the first arrow passed her, and it followed with a blade of white fire that soared many feet above ground. Her left arm instantly followed suit with great form. Both arms met the ground and her legs repeated the same move. In mid-backflip, her eyes studied the landscape and where all the people stood. There was one opening available. As she got back on her feet, she swirled her arms in opposite directions to gather heat energy that would last all the way down to the shore. She ended the attack with the most stiff and accurate horse stance. Quickly thinking of an even better plan, she shifted one of her feet to face all of the firebenders. Her arms swiped the air on either side of her with her palms facing upwards. The fire that has made it to the edge of shore extended far and wide to each ends of the archers's line. All of them fell to the ground.

"Come on, Holly, we have to get out of here!" Katara's voice called out from behind. She thought there were only half a dozen more firebenders to take care of, but before she knew it, more of them seemed to come out of nowhere from the beach. Behind her shoulder, she saw Sokka run past her with her bag over his shoulder. Katara and Toph were in Appa's saddle, and Aang had his hands gripped on Appa's reigns, just about to say the words. She couldn't waste time sprinting towards them. Holly twirled up in the air like a shooting star around the same time that Appa did, as well. She let go of her bending when she was higher then the roof of the mansion, and allowed Appa to catch her in his saddle.

The beach was obviously taken as Appa's runway. Aang had no other choice but to lead them out the side of the island, which would lead them all farther north.

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**Where will the gaang's next destination be? I'm planning on getting Aang back into his firebending training next chapter. Please review (:**


	30. The Return of Angra

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**This begins with a dream sequence! It's supposed to be confusing, but I tried to put a lot of info in it :)**

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_The room was all dark, the only light source being a weakening flame burning the bottom of she hot ashes in the fireplace. The heat radiating was pure red and black. Not all of the black toxitic smoke was captured by its chimney, but it somehow slithered itself over to meet Holly's face. The smoke was mocking her - reminding her that her heart should not be beating if it weren't for Chris to save her from her own arrogance. It does no greater good that she is ridding him of his only freedom in this premices that he can rightfully call his own - She is only an inconvenience that there is still a remainding Heaven, and because of her lack of experience and knowledge there is nothing that she can do to change that unless she allows another to take over._

_Dark mentioned to recieve her permission to take over. . . Dark was already taking over. It had control of this entire room. Dark minimized her vision to simple outlines that were very out-shaped and confusing._

_A face suddenly popped in front of her face and frightened her. She noticed his blurry mouth moving slower then a snail, but she had no way of determining what kinds of words were made. Holly tried to look into the eyes of the beholder. She longed it to be Chris that was leaning over her on the couch, but the more the stared at the pixelated face, the more it didn't make sense. At first, all that she could make out was the whites of the eyes, but then the two white circles opened to reveal a pair of pale red eyes that resembled the ashes. Holly's inner soul burned with unresolved anger that was wriggling uneasily through her nerves. Something overtook control of her body and reached out for the face. She had no idea why she felt to silence those strangely familiar eyes so to never crawl through her skin and touch her soul again._

_Dark began to spin the room. Her feet no longer touched the ground and she felt the need to fight it. She was either going to defeat the darkness or die trying. But Holly felt too sick and unbalanced to do anything effective. She wanted out of this penthouse, at the least. She did not belong here. She needs to be sleighing the darkness in the war against peace. Otherwise, the time of light will be no longer._

_Holly screamed at the top of her lungs, and still it was not audible to her useless ears. Her aching eyes saw a surging mass of white billow from her mouth. It swelled and ate the darkness it came in contact with._

_A loud scream of pain._

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_

People were surrounding her. It looked like there was more then there really was because of the other miscellaneous merchandise spread about the saddle she was laying in. They intruded her space too provokingly. Holly could not see clearly, which is one of the scariest things that she can ever experience. In defense mode, she threw herself at the person closest to her subconscious face, who happened to be Aang. Aang threw himself backwords just in time, but almost fell off of Appa in the process.

Katara had to use all of her strength to push Holly back down. She gasped when she felt burning hot air rise to the surface of her skin. She took her hands back and held them close to her.

Finally, Holly's eyes fully opened. She became aware that she was not in Chris's penthouse being attacked by an evil spirit, but in the saddle of a flying bison with the avatar and his friends. Holly took deep breaths to calm herself down. Her head leaned back and she gazed at the sun hiding behind the dark clouds. Rarely has she ever seen clouds before. . . let alone these kinds.

"Katara, what happened to your hands?" Sokka asked panicingly, noticing her hugging them close to her breast in pain. Holly looked at her and instantly felt a wave of guilt crash through her system. Katara couldn't even hold back the water building up in her eyes as one ran down her reddened cheeks. She was attempting to reach for her water gourges.

"Don't put water on it!" Holly sat up rapidly and kneeled next to Katara. She blocked the oncoming water stream with the back of her hand.

"Hold out your hands," she instructed.

Katara sniffed, and was going to obey. . . but then she started to shake uncontrollably like she was in the middle of arctic ice water with no protective layering. Holly has _never_ seen her firebending act this way before. There was no time to sit and watch the burn multiply in her flesh, so she seized both of her wrists and faced her palms upwards.

"What's going on?" Toph insisted from the other side of the saddle.

Aang, Sokka, and even Holly was at lost for words. Holly, especially, was lost for breath at what kind of revolting powers her firebending suddenly acquired. Toph was given no answer. She can usually never sense any kinds of vibrations when she has no contact with her own element. This was different. The vibration of a heart beat was clearly sensible to her own ears.

Beginning at the edges of her middle three fingertips, and rapidly advancing from the inside of Katara's veins up her wrist, a virus-like disease of firebending killed her skin from the inside out. The skin instantly turned pitch black and shriveled up like a rotten piece of fruit. Toph wrinkled her nose at the foul smell of dead skin.

Holly put her right hand in front of Katara's (and used the other hand to keep her still). She guided the fire out of her flesh by inhaling as strongly as she could. Holly's fingers extended from each other and pulled back less then an inch. The spread of the heat lessened and lessened until it came to a complete halt. Katara held in her cry out of pain. Toph felt her heartbeat increasing in huge numbers per second, which quickened her breath like she had been running for hours non-stop.

Holly's hand locked into a fist. What had escaped Katara's palm was not the type of substance she had suspected. It was literally a small pool of swirling darkness. She shakingly held her own palm out and let the substance slither in all directions. It gave off an eerie sound close to a low breathing. . . it was like it was its own heart beat.

". . . What is that?" Katara whispered, still partly sobbing from the pain.

Holly examined the ball of black energy with all of the power her eyes could luster. It looked like smoke, but it wasn't smoke because even she could not see through the substance. It had a liquid quality to it, but it floated in mid-air like it was gas, and it also was as thick as solid.

"That's a good question. . ." Holly replied. She almost chocked on her own words in fear. It was so unclear why her soul kept trying to convince her mind that this is familiar. . . Something inside of her wanted to destroy it - no matter what.

Snow-white fire erupted from her shoulder, ran down her arm and engulfed the dark fire.

* * *

"I have mastered it."

The gaurd stood abrubt as his leader suddenly turned around and faced him. He did not know what to say at his. . . accomplishment. Whether he knew how to react to this did not nearly matter as much as showing respect like his peers.

"After all of these years. . ." the leader boasted, staring at the dirty palms of his long fingertips. "I have discovered the answer to the unresolved question that has remained in this culture for eternities. I have unleashed the secrets that the Havens have kept from its own beholder. . . I have been foolish to not have realized this sooner. I've missed the signs all along. . . of when there is the master of light, there must be a master of dark. When there is white, there is black. When there is a yin, there is a yang. And when there is good, there is evil."

Mainyu connected his fingertips together in front of his face and looked upon his audience.

"You are all aware of the story of the great fire spirits? The story that states the creation of firebending? Yes, where as it obviously says that Holly Haven is The Great Spirit of Fire?"

The crowds' reaction to the mentioning of their past ruler was unbearable to comprehend correctly without showing devotion to the greater good.

"Her own ancestors kept the _real_ story to themselves for many generations! It was not passed down to Holly quick enough because her parents were killed before they could do so! You _should_ all bow to me for digging up the truth under the floorboards of their old house."

Every single mobster met their fist to their palm and bowed in unison.

"You have been told that Heaven, the Great Spirit of Fire, never exposed herself to humans in her lifetime." Mainyu paced down the walkway of the underground, gazing at every face to detect any weakness. "This - is - a - _lie_.

"For reasons unknown, Heaven was exposed to one man before her passing. By witnissing her 'pure dragon form'," he hated reciting the words written on the old documents, and almost said the words sarcastically. "He was gifted the hidden trait that was a trademark of her exact soul. That is why it was made possible for Heaven to be reborn."

The dark and dreary dungeon was filled with hot air. It was ridiculous for Mainyu to force his workers to construct an unstable room underground with such low ceilings and no rennovations. For anybody, it was near impossible to see anything. It was the middle of the night, and all that illuminated the room were candles in each four corners of the room.

"This man, even though his name is not given. . . was the first avatar to live. Whilst him physically witnissing a spirit, the avatar cycle was granted the power of crossing through this world. . . and mine," he admitted under his breath, even though he hasn't gotten to explaining it yet. "Upon their passing, they were allowed access to the spirit world as their afterlife home.

"This is an abomination. I cannot have it," he preeched straightforwardly, connecting his hands behind his back while he paced down the rows of mobsters. He was, in the back of his mind, hoping to spot a certain mobster in this dungeon, Chris, but he was no where to be spotted, yet. "I cannot have the avatar free roaming my rightful realm. Thankfully, I've come up with a plan in many years of advance to end this nonsense, but now that I have mastered the element of darkness, I can sleigh the Great Spirit of Fire _and_ the avatar." Mainyu chose to dismiss admitting the things that went wrong with his plan because he was confident that it was still going to work, now that he's mastered the energy of pure evil. "To further induce my abilities, I will seek Holly Haven on the day of Fire Lord Sozin's Comet. All of your jobs," he gestured towards everyone, "are simple: For now, every single one of you will search for a young man named Chris Draven. He is the key to luring Holly in our clutches; While some of you are at it, you might want to see what kinds of dirty little secrets he might have on her - torture it out of him if you will-" Mainyu laughed. Most everyone flinched at his louder tone of voice.

Angra Mainyu felt most accomplished about his speech to the mafia. He had nothing else to explain to them. They already knew how to retrieve Chris because the foolish teenager is still living in the city. There is no where else for him to go.

This is only the beginning. He was well more than enough time to train his mobsters for invasions to the fire nation. The comet is arriving in less then a month, where then he can finally silence the Great Spirit of Fire for defeating him at his own game so long ago. Now, nothing can go wrong. He is the master of the fire of darkness. White fire cannot stop him no more. Evil has risen once more.

"We will have another meeting when the comet draws nearer. You are dismissed."

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight: You had a dream that _evil_ was attacking you?" Sokka exaggerated.

"It wasn't just a dream, Sokka, I swear to it. I think that's how that fire ended up in my system," Holly guessed. She leaned her head over into her lap exhaustingly. She didn't get the sleep that she was intending on.

"That doesn't make any sense! I thought only Aang was aloud to have weird spiritual dreams like that?" he continued, willingly to express his point.

"Actually, Sokka, I didn't get a chance to tell you guys back at Ember Island, but when I went to the Spirit World, I found out that Holly actually is the Great Spirit of Fire somehow. . ." Aang explained, gesturing towards everybody gathered in Appa's saddle. It didn't seem to surprise them all that much.

"So that means. . . what exactly, then?"

"Did you get some kind of back story on it?" Toph asked.

"Well," Aang began, "I met with Avatar Rokku in the spirit world, and at first I just asked him if he knew anyone named Holly Haven, but he didn't. I told him that she bends white fire, but he said that it would be impossible if she's not the Great Spirit of Fire -"

"But that doesn't prove anything!" Katara interrupted.

"Let the boy finish, Sugar Queen!" Toph punched her in the arm. She was about to massage her pained bicep, but then remembered that her palms did not heal all the way with her waterbending. There were still another few layers of skin that needed to replace the useless parts.

"He told me all he knew about the legend. He said that there were _two_ fire spirits who were dragons. One was a white dragon named Heaven (who is The Great Spirit of Fire) and one was a black one named Angra." Holly continued to sink her head lower and lower into her lap, not wanting to listen about them figuring out this nonsense. She hated this attention that was all on her. They were all supposed to be focused on the avatar and him defeating the fire lord on time, not debating on whether Holly is some fire spirit or not. Unsurprisingly, she does not care one way or another, because even if she is, she knows it won't change anything.

"Wait. Isn't that the leader's name of Haven City?" Toph said.

They all glanced at Holly, who showed no interest in responding. Instead of taking that as a hint to drop the subject, they continued as if she wasn't even there.

"Yes, and I don't think that's just a coincidence. I think that he's the other fire spirit." Aang then told the gaang about the story Rokku told him about. He told them that Angra showed himself to the first people to live on earth as a plan to take over before it became any stronger. ". . . And I saw what he looked like."

Everyone was intruiged. Holly didn't hear about this part. She sneakily lifted her head a few inches to listen to him.

"He was enormous - his head was probably the size of a three-story house! And he had these huge horns that curved in front of his snout, and lightning travelled through them! He had these huge red eyes and really sharp teeth. . . And then he roared. I expected him to spit fire or something, but everything just went dark."

The connection to Aang's spirit world journey and Holly's dream could not be ignored. Just minutes ago, Holly was holding dark fire in her hand. Before that, she was dreaming of dark fire attempting to destroy her. Now, she hears of this dragon, also named Angra, that conjures dark fire? Is she really The Great Spirit of Fire? Was she really a white dragon named Heaven so long ago? Holly opened the palms of her small hands in her lap and stared at them in deep thought.

* * *

Chris was leaning against one of his counters in the kitchen. He was holding a piece of bread in one of his hands, but had no interest in finishing the small meal. His other hand tapped the edge of the counter with his fingertips, and he could not keep his eyes on one thing for more then a few seconds. Chris was constantly looking all over the place as though he was expecting something out of the ordinary to pop out at him. He was worried. Something was not right tonight. He could feel it in the core of his bones.

It was near midnight. This is when all mobsters are out and about the streets. It has been like that all of his life. But tonight, he could not hear a sound coming from outside. He was much too paraonoid to peak out his door to see if anyone was standing outside of his penthouse. He knew that if he was confronted by any more mobsters - or even dealers, for that matter, then he will not be as lucky.

"Chris?"

He flinched so intensely that his bread slipped out of his grip and almost fell to the dusy floors, but he caught it just in time. Azula was standing just in front of him. She also had a worried look on her face.

"Is something bothering you?"

Chris massaged the bridge of his nose to try to calm himself down. "Something's not right, Azula."

The young princess crossed her arms in denial of his concern. "What are you talking abou-"

"It's way too quiet out there. I don't here a thing. Every single day, ever since I was little, the mobsters have always been out in the streets at this time." He took a bite of his bread just so he could be doing something to distract him.

"I've noticed that, too." Zuko said from where he was sitting in his living room. He stood up and met with him and his sister. "Do you think we should check outside to see what's going on?"

Chris did not look very thrilled at his suggestion, but he knew that there wasn't going to be any other way to make sure, seeing as windows are non-existant in this city. He sighed and said, "I'll go out and check. . ."

"Are you being serious? You're one of the most recodnizable people in this. . . whatever you want to call it! If anyone is to go outside, it has to be either me or Zuko. We would at least look a bit less suspicious."

"Alright, alright, I'll go out there," Zuko called out. Chris and Azula looked at him and nodded in agreement. Both of them followed him to the foyer, in case anything were to happen. The suspense was building up in Chris's nerves especially. He's the one who has the most experience here. He knows what kinds of horrors these mobsters are capable of. This could be an ambush, or a trap of some kind. Once Zuko opens the front door, they could be captured and -

"_Uncle?_"

* * *

The sun was completely covered by the horizon and the bright crescent moon was rising. Appa has been flying them for hours over this ocean. Sokka was sure that there was land coming up ahead, but he said that hours ago, just after their conversation about Holly's spiritual complexities. There wasn't much else to discuss of the matter after Aang told his story. There was nothing they could do about it. It was pretty certain at this point that these rumors were true, but there was no knowing how to act upon it. Their main goal was, as a matter of fact, was to have Aang learn firebending before the comet arrives. They have been so distracted by other things that aang has only had a couple of lessons since Holly joined their group. Holly promised him that once they find land and a nice spot to set up camp, then their lessons will continue. That was the end of that. The gaang has not said much of anything for almost an hour. Most everyone was exhausted. They were all up at the crack of dawn this morning, and never once stopped for a break from their own personal adventures. Aang was sitting back on Appa's head; the reigns attatched to his horns were slipping out of his grip whenever he dozed off every few minutes. The other four, Katara, Sokka, Toph and Holly, were lined up in a row, curled up inside of the saddle to try and catch up on their sleep. They could barely all fit together comfortably, though, because they were up against all of the supplies. Momo was sleeping on top of one of the sleeping bags in the back.

Appa voiced a low rumbling roar to wake up everyone. The four in the saddle stretched lazily, with every one of them bumping into someone else's arm or body part at some point. Sokka pulled out his map from his belt loop around his waist. They were in northern earth kingdom territories, but where they were at, there were no major cities.

"Just pick a spot, Aang, there's nothing important around here," Sokka told him while rubbing his heavy lidded eyes. Katara, Toph, Holly, and even Sokka, for that matter, did not bother to see what kind of landscape was below them. They all layed their heads back down.

Aang obeyed, seeing as there was nothing threatening down below. There were a few scattered trees, some bushes, and grass. It was nothing special. The area looked unoccupied - maybe even deserted. That was a plus to Aang, and the fact that he could spot a nice river just up ahead was even more reason for them to stay here. He slightly pulled on Appa's reigns to slow him down, and he began to lower down to the ground.

The flying bison landed just beside the flowing river. Toph groaned the herself. She was not in the mood to set up camp in the middle of the night, and neither was anyone else.

"We'll set up camp in the morning. . ." Aang mumbled, barely loud enough for the rest to hear.

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**That's chapter 30 :D I hope you understand the things I added on to my story about Angra and Holly. Any questions? R&R :)**


	31. The Dragon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**Hey guys, I should've mentioned in the last chapter that in the scene with Azula, Chris and Zuko, Iroh is not directly at their doorstep when Zuko opens the door to check for anything suspicious. He was just walking around in the road down a ways and he saw him when he looked around for any more mobsters. Just had to clear that up!**

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Zuko could not believe his eyes. His Uncle Iroh was roaming the streets of Haven City. His Uncle surprises him with new unbelievable accomplishments on a regular basis. But this was something totally different. How would he gain the knowledge of this place by being locked up in prison? He had to have just escaped. His hair was outgrown and gritty. His prison clothes were stuck to his new body that he flinched at. If he hadn't of seen that kind face of his, he would've mistaken him as another mobster (besides the fact that he had a backpack around his shoulders with his various needs). He made his way down the alleyway. He suspected that he looks a bit different, as well, and he had to make sure. He couldn't believe that his prayers came true. The one man that he wanted by his side during these times is his Uncle Iroh. There really is someone up there listening to him. . .

Once the time finally came to its point where Iroh was standing beside him, he cut him off mid-sentence.

"Uncle Iroh, I-"

"Are you alone?" His voice was low and quiet. His eyes meant business.

He noticed that he was still holding the door only partway out, so Zuko opened the door all the way to show Chris and Azula. He was relieved that his Uncle understood the proximities of this place. If he hadn't, he thought, then he probably would'nt of made it here. "No. Azula and I are staying with-"

Iroh raised a hand as a sign to silence himself. "Let us talk inside."

He no longer had to say no more. Chris and Azula allowed him to pass quickly. The door swiftly shut behind him. Zuko made sure to lock it before continuing. They must be the luckiest people in the world to have the roads deserted of mobsters when Iroh was wandering them, he thought. He knew he wasn't the only one suspicious. Everyone knew something was different.

"Come on inside," Chris greeted as he walked in the living room. Iroh nodded once, throwing his bag off of his large shoulders and tossing it into the corner of the foyer room. Zuko couldn't wait any longer. Once they were under a safe roof away from the streets, he threw himself at his father figure in a passionate hug. Azula stood aside, not knowing whether to mimic her brother or to move along with Chris. Deep down, she knew that she should be reconnecting with this man who has risked everything to find them here. He has done anything and everything more to protect them than her own father. It is difficult to accept what kind of a man she's finally realizing her father really is.

"My nephew. . . I can't believe I've found you," Iroh preached. Him and Zuko parted momentarily, Iroh's hands still assuringly rested on each of Zuko's shoulders. Iroh looked behind his shoulder at his niece. Azula was inching further and further towards the doorway out of this awkward environment. "Both of you. I am so glad you're safe," he corrected.

"I'm sorry for everything, Uncle. If I would've listened to you back in Ba Sing Se, then we wouldn't be here right now, you really didn't have to risk your life to come out here -" Zuko knew he was rambling. He realized he was tearing up inside which led to another embrace. He is aware, now, of his own mistakes in his past. Going through quite an experience such as this has evidently cleared away his inner turmoil. He should not have taken Azula's side when his choices were layed out for him on a crystal clear table. It was wrong for him to assume his Uncle's choices were wrong because of society's ways. If anything, he has learned that the fire nation's civilication is corrupt. This war that his own father is running makes him choose the fate of his success of world domination over the fate of his children's lives. But Iroh was willing to put his life on the line for the sake of him and his sister, who have done nothing but cause him to be thrown in jail for assisting the only hope of putting a stop to this abomination.

After another moment of pulling himself together, he looked up from Iroh's tear-stained prison uniform. Azula wasn't in the room anymore. He looked back at Iroh, who was smiling calmly. . . but he could sense the emotion in his eyes.

Chris and Azula waited in the living room. Chris pulled the table further away from the couch and sat with his back to the fireplace. Azula leaned against the wall below Chris's cherished portrait. Her arms crossed stubbornly, not wanting to face his Uncle and admit her wrongdoings. Her amber eyes fell to the dusty floorboards in denial. Chris eventually buried his face into his lap exhaustingly.

Zuko finally stepped into the livingroom. His head was down, his dark hair hiding his overwhelmed tears. He quickly wiped them away to avoid his peers from noticing any further. He pulled a wooden stool from Chris's kitchen, placed it in the living room on the opposite side of where Azula was (putting Chris in the middle), and set himself, rather distressed looking.

His Uncle Iroh did not go past the doorway from the foyer. He stared at Chris's portrait - them being fixed on Holly Haven. His face magnified something in Chris as he raised his head and witnissed his astounded reaction. Being as this was a man he never met, he did not press matters as hardly as he would with any other. He was about to fully introduce himself, until Iroh spoke three steady sentences that pulled at his heart strings.

"You must be Chris Draven. It is an honor to be able to meet you. I have heard nothing but great things from your lovely girlfriend."

Chris appeared as though he had ten things of replies to say at once. His jaw hung down, opening his mouth, seperating his shaped lips and teeth. His posture shot abruptly. The table shook from his astonishing shifting weight. Zuko and Azula looked at each other with concerned looks - not only from the surprising reaction Chris was having, but also because that would mean their Uncle Iroh was travelling with the avatar. Iroh was not phased by Chris. He passed the threshold, coming into the living room, and he sat in the center of Chris's sofa. He looked as if he felt welcomed to have been granted the whole couch to himself. After a short amount of time, Chris and the two siblings awaited for whatever else he was going to say. They knew it was no point in making small talk in this situation.

"About a month ago, I chose to go against the fire nation's ways and assist the avatar in his destinies. As for punishment, I was thrown in prison close to home. I was dealing with my situations quite normally in the beginning, but I was intending on escaping one day. To do so, I was doing as much as possible to gain any information from the fire nation. It did not take long for me to hear the rumor of my brother, Fire Lord Ozai's, son and daughter missing from one of their missions to capture the avatar." Zuko was the most intruiged by his Uncle's explination. Chris and Azula just wanted him to get to the point already. "I could never bear to lose any more family again. It was my time to escape.

"I managed to extract an animal guide qualified to move on land and water. I knew the safest place to start off my journey was at Ember Island. I knew, at the time, that there was an unoccupied house that used to belong to my brother. I found it a suitable place to recooperate my resources and prepare to rescue my niece and nephew," he gave a slight nod at the two in the room. "But, unfortunately for myself, someone beat me to it!" He chose not to raise his voice, but yet hiss the loudest whisper possible to enforce his means. "My assumption was that it was a mere traveller like myself that would leave the island by morning, so I set up my own camp for one night.

"The next morning, I took a hike in the small forest next to my campsite to gather any natural supplies needed for the rest of my trip. In a few hours, I return to my campsite to find a mysterious young girl standing at the end of the meadow, across from the forest. I barely had a chance to notice that this girl was special. I was attacked by her because I was mistaken as a 'mobster' from Haven City."

Chris hid his face, just as Zuko did moments ago. Simply hearing of his love was enough to break him down.

"It was truly a blessing for me to experience what white fire is like in the physical world. She is, without a doubt, _the_ master of her firebending. I would not have survived her attacks if it weren't for the avatar. He convinced the firebender to give a second thought. His words really calmed her down." This is not the story that Chris was wanting to listen to. He did not want to hear how great the avatar is at coaxing his girlfriend. "The odds that I was on the same island as the avatar and Holly Haven were remarkably slim, but the odds came true. I was accepted to be a part of their group for a night."

"Did Holly tell you how to find us?" Chris asked.

"Yes. She informed me of all that she knows of Haven City. She even gave me a firebending lesson to better improve my chances of surviving against the mobsters." Chris recodnized how amazing his girlfriend still is. She hasn't changed a bit. Not only did she take the time she could've been using to train the avatar for Iroh, but she did it for the sake of him _and_ two others that she isn't particularly fond of (from what he's heard). "Holly explained her own experience of living in this city by granting me insight from her past."

"What did she say about me?" he urged demandingly.

Iroh showed a disappointed look at the young man sitting in front of him. It is not healthy for someone to be this attatched to another at this age and to rely on nobody else. He guessed that he had to show understandment, though, because no one is trustworthy in the mob.

"She said to tell you that she is okay. She said that she misses you, but she will be home soon."

Chris's face screwed up in pain. Zuko felt like he was watching himself from a couple of months ago. He knows what it is like to be in so much pain. But he doesn't know what it is like to be in love - to miss someone so much that it hurts. Azula, on the other hand, tried not to pay attention to his inner turmoil. She closed her eyes for those few moments to block out his prescence. She wishes that she knew the feeling of love.

"It is not right for one to be in this kind of turmoil, all because of a senseless war. My original objective was to rescue my family and to help do my part to put an end to the fire nation. But now that I have witnissed the illusory of this mob, I am afraid that we will have to put an end to this place, too."

"That's what we've been trying to plan," Chris said. He was remarkable at calming himself down for certain situations. "Ever since Zuko ended up at my doorstep -"

His sentence stopped at an immediate halt. His entire body froze. His eyelids raised slowly wider and wider as he stared into the foyer. Zuko, Azula, and Iroh heard it, too. The sound came from outside. It sounded like someone walked past something large and accidently ran into it, causing a large cluttering noise against the side of his house. Chris knew exactly what they were doing, but he had no time to figure out why. The mobsters were going to break into the penthouse to check if anyone was inside. Soon enough, they heard the rattle of the front doorknob being jerked around. Zuko locked the door, but they all knew that that wasn't going to stop them.

Iroh stood up. He must be on the exact same page as Chris. He put out the fire in the fireplace. None of them knew a clue what to do. They didn't want to risk moving a muscle, but they also had to hide themselves before the mobsters break down the door.

They waited.

One of the mobsters sent a lightning bolt through the ground. The intensity knocked Azula off of her feet and sent her flying through the kitchen. Zuko smacked against the wall in the opposite direction. Chris would have been killed if it weren't for Iroh's defense. He was not entirely successful in deflecting the move, but he did manage to change its course. Its original path was hitting Chris, but instead, it was knocked to the side and struck the back wall where the fireplace was. It caused Chris's portrait to burst into flames.

Iroh had to let it burn. If he were to put it out, then they would know for sure that the penthouse was occupied. Luckily, Chris was knocked unconscious as his head slammed against the corner of the walls. He won't have to hear his frets until later, when it is hopefully safe.

"I told you there weren't no voices! Chris would be a fool to stay here, he's probably moved somewhere in the outskirts," a raspy voice bellowed.

Iroh helplessly watched Holly Haven's beautifully painted face go up in flames, gradually making its way to his own. He waited a few more seconds until he was for sure that the mobsters were no where near the penthouse. Iroh then proceeded to calm the fire to nothing and tend to the three.

* * *

Zuko and Azula were back on their feet after a few minutes of shock. They were lucky to only have the wind knocked out of their lungs. Before continuing with their conversing, the two siblings helped clean up the torched living room as much as they could, but some things were beyond repair. Planks of wood were scattered everywhere from the blow through the ground. Half of the floors were torn out if its bolts. The couch was thrown onto its back against one of the walls. The back wall where the fireplace once stood was devistating. The flames burnt half of the portrait, with only Chris's face still part visible through the wrinkled paper and black ash. The rocks holding the fireplace were split into fractions, and was now a crumbling disaster. The fumes of old burnt paper lingered around near the ceiling, seeking a place of escape.

Zuko set the couch upright and left it against the wall where the floors beneath it were still together. Assisted by his Uncle, he lifted Chris off the floor and placed him on the sofa.

"He's going to. . . be alright, isn't he?"

"Yes," Iroh assured his niece. "Of course." He does not have his doubts that Chris is a fighter, much like his girlfriend, and would not give up this easily on the mobsters.

"He would've died if you wouldn't of blocked that guy's move," Zuko said honorably. "I haven't seen anything like that before. . . accept when I saw Holly Haven defeat our men in that air ship. . ."

Iroh nodded once, and then proclaimed, "I do not think it's safe to stay here, particularly, for the time being. I sense that those won't be the only mobsters showing up at our doorstep if we anticipate."

"We at least have to stay here 'till morning, when everyone is asleep. If we go now, then it's an entitled death sentence," Zuko insisted.

The two of them agreed. They will wake just before dawn to gather their things and search for a new shelter. Zuko and Azula went to bed in Chris's room, Chris was still on the couch, and Iroh layed out his sleeping bag in the foyer and stayed there for the night. If any other mobster tries to break in, he would be the first one to hear it. He is the most capable of defending their group. All because of Holly.

* * *

_He was standing in the middle of his living room, facing his portrait. It was daylight, judging as how there was light seeping through the cracks and corners of the wooden walls. He looked down into his fireplace. . . his first guess what that fire was burning embers at the pit of the place, causing black smoke to mimic the movements of a pure flame. . . but then, that couldn't be possible. It _had_ to be fire. There was no light underneath. It was all dark._

_Then, the mysterious dark fire managed to slither itself out of its protective cage. It passed Chris by inches. Simply being this close to the darkness was sucking out all of the warmth in his body. He felt his own heartbeat being tampered with. It helplessly tried to keep up with the darkness by pumping more life into his system._

_The seeping light through the walls were retreating. The empty spaces were being filled by darkness until it had control of the whole room._

_Chris turned completely around._

_And there she was. He knew in an instant that something was wrong with her. Holly's skin was losing its color, her bright brown hair was turning into darker shades. In contrast, her eyes glowed brighter and brighter. Her eyes didn't even look golden anymore. They were burning white. Her eyes drew him in closer, even though he didn't want to. Her expression looked sneeringly deadly._

_It was The Great Spirit of Fire. Even if it was a flashed glimpse of her, it was still enough to behold the frightening beauty. The dragon was enormous. All of the colors that made her up were shades of brilliant white. Her two sets of kanines that cupped around her wrinkled snout were bright silver, and so were her tall and sturdy horns. Heaven's long-grown sideburns and whiskers that surrounded her face danced in the breeze and shimmered like diamonds from her own light. Her only reptilian attributes were the jagged scales connecting to the top and center of her head between her horns that travelled down her spine and tail, and all of her chest and stomach that resembled rock hard armour. Her tremendously massive wings spanded out from end to end to show dominance, as her excessively long tail whipped back and forth behind her condensed core._

_He was being sucked out of Holly's soul. He felt like he was there for ever. Chris regained his balance in his living room - he barely had enough time to act. Holly threw herself at him like he was Angra Mainyu. He took a cautious step back. In the back of his mind, he still heard Heaven's voice growling fiercely as if she was being threatened. Her human form was still trying to attack him. He didn't have enough time to think of how to snap her out of it. She knived her bare hands at his face. Chris ducked just in time, and he put his arms around her strong core and picked her up in the air._

_She thrashed her arms back and forth to get out of his grip, but there was no use. In the corner of his eye, he still caught the dark fire creeping along the walls of the room._

_Heaven voiced a bellowing roar. A surging mass of white billowed from her gaping mouth._

_There was a loud scream of pain. . . but it wasn't him._

_

* * *

_

His eyes flew open.

All was silent, except the sounds of heavy breathing. He felt a shiver travel down his spine. But when he looked down at his body, he noticed that he was sweating through his clothes. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to his living room. He quickly became confused.

He was laying on his couch, but he wasn't in the center of the room. As cautious as he could, he lifted himself up into a seated position. His floorboards were blown out proportion. There were piles of stacks of wood plants next to the doorway leading to his foyer. His nostrils sensed the essence of burn.

Out of complete regulation, his eyes automatically looked at his portrait. From this angle, he assumed that Holly's side of the portrait was just in the shadows. . . The dragon that was the making of Holly's soul came into his mind again. Holly _is_ that dragon. Deep inside of her, there is a dragon spirit that is The Great Spirit of Fire. . . Chris thought, if that dragon came to face Mainyu, then he wouldn't stand a chance.

"You must've been having quite a nightmare, I presume."

Chris jumped at the break of soothing silence. A pounding ache soon began to reach his temples. He dropped his face into his freezing hands and mumbled, "You have no idea."

Iroh tilted his head. "You and Holly are definately two of a kind. But I fear that your fates are bound into too many knots that can never be untied."

"I just - saw - The Great Spirit of Fire." Chris let his forearms drop to his lap. But his head never raised. "I was. . . pulled into her soul by her eyes. I saw the spirit that's living inside her."

Iroh picked the floor as his own seat in meditive position. He took a few calming breaths. "I do believe that if Holly was pulled to her highest point of emotion, then she would be able to unleash the spirit in her soul that now resides as dormant."

Chris wasn't particularly fond of pouring all of his thoughts out on a man that he just met, but he appears so easy to talk to. He lifted his head halfway in order to acknowledge Iroh directly. This has been a question that has been itching at his mind for a while, now, but he felt like he couldn't share his theory with Zuko or Azula because they don't really understand Holly. Iroh had some one on one time with his other half.

"Do you think that on the day of Sozin's Comet, she could transform _into_ the dragon?"

The old man shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes in dismay.

"The odds, at this point, are pointing towards more than likely. . . I just hope the odds are wrong. . . for everyone's sake."

* * *

**Soooo I hope everything made sense. The dream sequence was the same as last chapter's, but in Chris's point of view (again, it's not supposed to make a whole lot of sense). I'm really working on the legit story of Angra and Holly that'll be clean cut and easy to understand. Hope you've enjoyed!**


	32. Scars

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

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* * *

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It's not that she was having another nightmare. She just happened to wake up before everyone else; probably because she slept almost the whole ride here, and if she would've slept too much, she could've had another incident with that weird dark fire - weird dark fire that could possibly be coming from Angra Mainyu - who could also possibly be the fire spirit who created hell.

She sat up groggily, trying to push away all of these words of anxiety that all of the sudden started running through her head once she opened her eyes. She could feel her hair pulling more and more back to her natural curly strands instead of flipped straightness around her face. That always let her know that it was time to wash up. It was a good thing she took those clothes from the mansion, she thought. It could be something to do to get her mind off of things.

Her bag was on the other side of the saddle. Holly tried to decipher how to go about this obstacle. Toph, Katara and Sokka were lined up in a row, taking up almost all of the majority of Appa's saddle. She saw Aang sleeping on Appa's head on his back. She felt something tug at her gut that made it turn inside, but she denied it as being hungry, or something along those lines.

Holly stood up. As quietly as she could, she tip toed in the spaces between the three pairs of legs to make it to the other side. The attraction inside grew the more she crept towards the sound asleep airbender. She kept her perfect vision on her bag, and once she was close enough to reaching it, she leaned over, carefully to not fall on one of the three under her, and grabbed ahold of its handles. She thought she was successful, but then she jumped in fright when she heard a startling chirp from behind (from the corner of her perephrials, she spotted Momo swooping past her in the air). She managed to not touch Katara or Sokka, who were just below her feet, but she slid down Appa's furry neck, rolled right over Aang and landed halfly on top of him.

Of course, Aang was a bit startled, at first. . . but then he just stared at Holly with flourishing red cheeks.

"Uh, sorry," she chuckled nervously, "I kinda slipped trying to get my bag. I didn't wanna wake anyone up." She was equally as embarrassed, especially because she didn't move a muscle to get out of his way, and neither did him.

Aang's mind went wild, and there was no way to stop it. His arm was beneath and around her waist. Her skin was so smooth, so soft, and so warm. . . But he couldn't let his thoughts get through to him. He needs to be respectful towards Holly and her decisions to be faithful to her boyfriend. He pulled his arm out from under her and turned to his side. "No, it's fine. Are you going somewhere?" He covered his mouth to yawn.

Holly propped herself up. There wasn't enough room for her to sit up without rolling down Appa's face. The one wrap that went around Holly's chest was pulled down a bit from sleeping in it, but there wasn't much to fixing it now. "I was gonna wash up and change. I found a few new outfits instead of just wearing this thing."

"Where at? The mansion?" he asked. He couldn't help it but to have his silver eyes glance in other places besides her face. Holly's abs were contracting almost too visibly from holding herself up. The sunrise reflected off of her skin radiantly as though someone sprinkled glimmering diamonds all over her body.

She nodded. Holly wanted to leave before it became any more difficult for her to stay away, so she rolled herself onto her back, assuming that she had enough room to get up with no problems. Embarrassingly enough, she was wrong again. If it weren't for Aang putting his arm around her, she would've slid down Appa's head and woke him up. Holly didn't gasp because of her loss of balance, but because of seeing Aang's face appear right above her own. The bag in Holly's small hand was dangling in front of Appa's forehead. Aang stepped his knee on the other side of Holly's hip and pulled it out of her hand (even though she probably could've simply lifted it with her powerful arm, herself). Both of their minds went blank. Words continuously streamed through their heads as to what to say to reduce emotions. There was no hope in trying to put their words to use because the actions spoke louder. For that small moment, their bodies pressed together. . . where each could feel every part of the other. This connection was substantial.

* * *

The woods was definately a pleasant enough of a site to distract some of her confliction issues. She's never remembered trees looking like this before. They towered over all else, and each leaf were so distict from one another. Plenty of bugs fluttered and maneuvered themselves from one location to another. Seeing them so precisley was delectable. The river that was to the left of her made everything inside her much calmer. Her eyes were pleasantly enjoying the views of the forestry. It was a good replacement tool for what just happened.

She didn't know how long she had to walk in order for them to not be able to see her. No matter how long she travelled, she was still going to be able to see the campsite (unless something was standing in the way, of course, such as one of those enormous tree trunks). Holly has no clue how to assume the perception of a normal human being, so her best bet was to get as far away from them as possible. It's not something that she totally resented. Now that her legs are in near perfect condition again, she's actually been looking forward to long walks - perhaps even runs. Her legs have no problem supporting her vigorous torso, all because of Katara. If it weren't for her, she's afraid that her legs would never have healed.

Feeling light as a feather, and calmer then she's ever been, she swung her bag frontwords and back in her small right hand. She could actually smell liveliness in the atmosphere, instead of air that contains nothing but near-toxic fumes with no humidity to mix in. Holly began to take interest in focusing her eyes inside of the clear blue river. There were plently of satisfied plants living in the roots of wet sand. A couple of interesting little critters were spotted hiding behind the long leaves that she's never seen before.

Minutes passed by. She stopped walking forward, took a deep breath, and then proceeded to her left to stand at the shore of the water. Her first plan, apparently, is not going to work. The depth of the water does not change for miles, and way off in the distance, she saw a couple of rooftops peeking from the horizon. She wasn't going to get the wash she'd hoped for, but she could still do half of the job.

Holly squatted down, as close as she could get to the water without truly touching it. It felt so different for her to be experiencing the element that's the complete opposite of her's. The water looked so elegant and easy. . . the way it tainted the smooth rocks and pebbles at its shoreline, and the way it carried itself in the shallow trench. It's no wonder that water is one of the scarcest elements in the mob. It's worth a fortune for one measely barrell, and usually, it was full of salt from being straight from the ocean. The mob must really be a hellful place if any kinds of bodies of water don't exist there.

Her reflection was so blurry. The ripples in the water against the heavier rocks moved her image back and forth playfully. It irritated her eyes and stung an ache in her head.

There was something else in the water that was being reflected - and it definately wasn't her. She sensed firebenders in the midst - not because of what they sounded like, not because of what their reflection looked like, but she could just sense it.

She stood up cautiously and turned around.

Her eyes immediately found three fire nation men smirking to themselves, obviously gesturing towards her. Her eyes determined the exact angle their focus was on. It ranged to everything besides her face. . . these firebenders struck a powerful chord that has lingered in her damanged heart for years. It was the look on their faces that brought back the most horrible memory she witholds, and the sight is still as clear as crystal inside.

_She finally admitted to herself that she might have made a mistake sneeking out of her house out of curiosity. She could see clearly, even though it was the middle of the night, that this alley had a near dead end. She only turned this way because the other road had a gaang of mobsters abusing a helpless woman for anyone to see. The others that prowled were thinking nothing of it; they continued their uncanny rituals of smoking fresh leaves from plants founded in the desert, sloppily rolled in dirty paper scraped from extra wood planks. Holly couldn't help but focus on all of the alarming things her eyes could see. To be honest to herself. . . yes, she was terrified._

_She lifted her black hood over her head so to possibly cover her long curly locks. It was a good attempt, but her hair was long past her chest and was still just as easily noticable as her eyes from the front. She kept her eyes on the ground as much as possible. This nine year old didn't know whether to walk fast to get away from the crowd of mobsters around the corner, or walk slow so she wouldn't reach the dead end as fast. There was no telling what she would do when she reaches the end of this dark alley. There are doors on either side of her that could open at any moment with evil mobsters spewing out._

_One last loud scream exploded out of the abused woman's mouth that Holly could probably hear no matter where she was in Haven City. She thought, since the mobsters finished their evil doings on the woman, that they would pack their bags and go back to where they came. But they didn't. It only got worse. The sounds of their laughter were getting closer. She could sense their every step, and so out of panic, she almost escelated to a jog - but she just about ran into the building that ended this road. Again, without looking up, she turned around, but she didn't know if she should walk right past them? That could be no use. They were all strutting down the road right at this moment. The drug fumes infected her sense of smell. It altered her clear thinking. She could see the joints in their filthy hands from twenty feet away._

_"Well look what we got here. . ." The mobster in the front chuckled amusingly. All but a couple of these men were wearing any sort of shirt. They had black pants loosely tied around their waists with a few pockets surrounding their hips. Their huge metal boots clunked against the dusty sand the closer they approached. "Could this be. . . the Havens's daughter?"_

_All of the men laughed, while one of them chanted something that she thought was a different language. They began to surround the helpless little girl, who only glanced up at a small sort of them a couple of times._

_"You're the little runt behind your older sister, aren't ya? Manda's her name, ain't it? Now, where is that fine little lady tonight?" Holly could see how they would prefer her sister over her. She's nearing her first year as a teenager, but Holly's still a child. . . Her heart began pounding loud inside her little rib cage. She wanted to answer him, but she couldn't get any words out. She could sense all of these firebenders staring at her body._

_The mobster seemed calm at first, but suddenly, when she looked at him again, he didn't look too pleased with her. The moment her glowing eyes raised, his burly hands thrusted her forwards by her hooded sweater. "Why don't ya fucken answer me! Where the fuck is your sister?" He threw her to the ground, flat on her back. Holly quickly gathered herself and said numbly, "She's not here."_

_"Not here!" While the man roared numerous cussing words at her, she looked past the crowd where the other road was. There were plenty of other people passing by, and they wouldn't even acknowledge any of them here. The pain from her tailbone began to send waves of pain to her head. There was no way to avoid these mobsters. . . unless she makes a run for it? Would they be able to catch her?_

_"Look at me when I'm talking to you!"_

_There it came: Fire. It was charging directly at her face. Her automatic defense was to conjure a shield of white. Against his firebending, it overpowered._

_All of the mobsters fell silent. Except for that one. The one who could not accept defeat. He enforces respect down innocent people's throats when he is not treated as he wants. Manda has always been the girl he strived for because of her name. She was the next person in line as leader after Ignatius and Kokoro. If he has Manda, then he has the mob under his control. . . him finding Holly Haven was just twisting his heartless nerves._

_"We gonna head out, 'stain. . ." one mobster mumbled. One by one, the gaang left the sickly furious man with Holly, who was still sitting in the dust. This man was still not saying anything, and was still not moving. She didn't dare look at his face._

_Uncontrollably shaking in fear, Holly pulled herself up from the ground cautiously -_

_He struck her down with the back of his hand. This pain was felt right away. She curled up in a ball and buried her head in her lap. The mobster grabbed her by the hair and enforced her face against his. "Hey, hey," he mumbled as he pulled her up. "Look at me."_

_At first, she was more focused on a moving shadow in the distance, but her blessed eyes rolled forwards instantly: His dirty, gritty, outgrown wavy hair was touching her forehead. His narrowed brown eyes were offly faded. He was conspicously sick. Tears overflowed down her cheeks. She knew what was going to happen._

_"You needa learn _respect_. . . ya damn bitch."_

_She flew through the air and crashed against the building behind her. Her helpless sobs were futile. Nobody was coming to her rescue._

She couldn't think about it any longer. She must be looking stupid, staring off into space when they were obviously carrying on a conversation. When she cut off her memory, her expression barely changed.

"Where'd you get that bag?" One asked. Another firebender from behind approached her bag of clothes to investigate its contents. Him taking a step too far was it for her. She snapped.

Her arms whirled around her head as she gathered a stance. A long blade of white fire accurately sliced the man in half. Pools of blood spewed from the severed body and ran between the grass until it was soaked up by the soil. She took no time to examine the hideous insides. The other two fire nation men were lucky to have a quick death, as Holly simply shifted her feet and took away their heart beats. They were dead before they flopped into the ground like a fish out of water.

The smell of a burnt human made her give way. There is no denying that she has never healed from her past. This factor causes her to feel even more angrier, convincing herself that this makes her week.

She also needed to prepare herself for a big fat lie. There is no way that the gaang wasn't going to notice this attack. The wildlife was ruined by obvious firebending. The only factor that she's mostly worried about is if Toph caught the vibrations already, but that couldn't of happened, because everyone but Aang was sleeping when she left.

Holly faced the one thing that would still give away her guiltiness, which was the severed man. The one thing she hated the most was burning a human. It is possibly the most horrible way in which to die. It is probably worse with white fire, she always thought. She also hates having her firebending coming in contact with the opposite element: water. But she had to do it. Holly sent a small jet of her fire from the tips of her fingers to the spilled innards. When the two elements collided, the snow white fire combusted spontaneously. And then, just like that, the loud sizzling subsided within seconds. A small hand raised over the fire it created and finished it. Nothing was left but black.

"Holly?"

The great firebender panically threw her hand back to her side and calmed her own heartbeat for reassurance. Her eyes focused on that same airbender she ran into a few minutes ago. She felt a bit more calm, knowing that he was the only one that was looking for her. He looked genuinely concerned. "Holly, are you back here?"

She had to answer him. Otherwise, it would rise suspicion. ". . . Yeah," she answered reluctantly. Aang sped towards her. When he came into the immediate area, he froze. It was hard to read whether he was still feeling concerned or if he was angry. He only glanced at Holly to make sure she wasn't hurt, and then he stared at the fire nation soldier sprawled out into the grass.

He was greatly perplexed. "You were attacked?" he asked promptly.

Holly crossed her strong arms. "Yes."

"Or. . . did you kill him because he's from the fire nation?" Holly doesn't know much about Aang's culture - especially when she was raised to think that of a mobster. She wasn't aware that he was so strict on innocent deaths.

"Way to come up with accusations, Aang." She raised her eyebrows, trying to make it convincing that she didn't actually murder the man clearly in front of Aang. She waited paciently, calmly, and stealthily. It didn't seem like she was in a firebending stance when her arms were crossed, but she was ready for the right moment -

His silver eyes looked away from her. She shifted her feet again.

"I dunno if I can believe you," he said. "I know what you're like." His narrowed eyes meant business.

"I was just here to wash up and change, I already told you that. I was about to until this guy showed up and attacked me 'cause he thought I stole this bag from them. All I did was use his fire against him and it knocked him out."

Aang wanted to check for himself. He walked over to the fire nation soldier, knelt down and placed his fingertips around his wrist.

Holly held her breath.

Aang sighed, slowly stood back up, and apologized. "I'm sorry, Holly. I shouldn't of judged you like that. . ." He walked towards Holly, who was mentally congratulating herself for successfully bringing a human being back to life. Her eyes then cut her celebrating short when they saw Aang wrinkling his nose when he stood on the burnt ground. It was quite strange to secretly know that he was standing on what used to be a dead human carcass. He picked up the bag, that was still sitting at the shore of the river, barely a foot away from the burned remains.

"Well, I don't think this is a good spot to wash up if that guy happens to wake up. All I'm doin' is taking my pants off, though, but his eyes 'd prob'ly burn from the ugliness." She laughed fakely.

"No, it'd probably be quite the opposite," he murmured to the ground. Since Holly couldn't see his face, she didn't know that he said anything.

A slab of earth formed a large wall to the left of Holly, and then another one behind Aang in his steady earthbending stance, then a third behind herself. Holly raised her eyebrows. "I guess that's a good attempt to solve my situation." She quietly laughed to herself. Aang became nervous when she noticed her walking up to him.

"What are you talking about, I just put three walls up for you?" Holly sensed his uneasiness. It only amused her more.

"Because I'll be in the river. I'm not taking a mud bath," she snickered.

Aang's body hezitated to move out of her way. He clutched the fire nation bag tightly.

"What are you doing?" Holly asked. She reached her hand out to get her bag back from him, but he must have forgot that he was holding it. Aang's cheeks flushed with deep shades of red as he noticed his questionable actions. He then handed over the bag and mumbled an apology under his breath.

He started to walk out of the area he earthbended for her -

"Wait."

Aang stopped and looked over his shoulder optomistically.

"Once I'm done, I'll come back and we'll look for a good spot to practice firebending. That sound good?"

Caught off gaurd, he suddenly remembered that this girl was here because she was his firebending teacher. They have been side-tracked from their real objective for so long. Aang nodded, and proceeded to leave Holly be.

* * *

Aang was expecting a nice greeting of some sort when he came back to the rest of the gaang awake, beginning to set up camp. But it was unfortunately not the case. Katara looked testy from the start. She was helping Sokka and Toph unload their supplies from Appa's saddle. She expressed no emotion towards his brother and Toph, simply handing over one item to the next. When she heard Aang walk back to the camp, she glanced at him behing her shoulder with narrowed eyes.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

Startled, he hezitated to respond. He didn't want to say the wrong thing in front of Katara if she was going to be in this kind of a mood again. "I went to check on Holly. I thought I heard something after she left."

"Why did she leave?" Sokka asked, handing the last sleeping bag from Appa's saddle and beginning to help him and Toph to the ground.

"The better question is: Why didn't she tell anybody?" Katara added. "She's a part of our team now. She can't just leave like that without anyone knowing."

Aang was more relieved when he realized that he could humbly agree with her.

"Well, if she's only gonna be gone for a few minutes, then I don't think that it's that big of a deal. I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself," Toph explained, harshly landing in the earth with satisfaction.

Katara sighed. "You would think that, Toph. . ."

* * *

Holly could read their lips as clear as crystal. She chose to pretend that she didn't when she joined them in the next moment. There was no need to get in an argument about this "family" thing. Toph was absolutely right. If she wants to wash up when she wakes up in the morning, then she has every right to do so. She can obviously handle herself if a problem arises.

"You ready for your next lesson?" Holly said.

Aang turned around. Holly's new look was definately a big change. She was finally wearing something different other then the color black. Her top was a tight, dark red tube top that ended just below her belly button. There was a small, gold metal circle that was sewed into the top-center of her top that exposed her prominent cleavage that was supported by a built-in bra. Her pants were black, and they stopped at her knees - only a few inches shorter then her other ones. These shorter pants showed the end of a deep, red scar on the side of her bad kneecap.

She looked like a different person mostly because of her hair. It was wet and extremely full of waves and curls. There was still no part in her shoulder-length hair, and it still framed all around her face.

Holly expected Aang of all people to flinch at her new look. She certainly didn't predict the dramatic levels, but she knew it would take him a moment to collect what he just heard and respond. This is why she never wears her hair natural. But she needs the disguise.

Aang nodded and began walking from the same way she came -

Holly's tiny hand pressed against the center of his chest with penetrable force. "No, no, no," she murmured. "Other way."

* * *

"Alright: So it's been awhile since we've done this. The only thing we've really accomplished is making fire come out of your fist," she stated as a matter of factly. "Our goal is to get this thing mastered by the end of this summer, which means from now on, we're gonna be training long and hard each and every day."

Aang nodded. He agreed completely, and frankly agreed one hundred percent. He was quite eager, now that he thought about it, to continue his firebending lessons.

"Now, I'd like you to demonstrate that for me for starts," she pronounced. As Aang got back in his stance that she taught him, she continued to inform. "Remember what I said last time about control. . . not what Iroh said, though," she mumbled under her breath spitefully. Aang noticed Holly's hair drying to reveal perfect waves and curls that were never there before she straightened it when they basically were first meeting -

"Hey, you listening?" she snapped, nudging the side of his shoulder, where he barely budged in the stance she put him in. "Quit dosin' off, and keep your eyes focused." Holly twirled herself around his front to catch his eye contact. When she moved out of his way, his eyes still followed her. "Don't glue them on me, either." She couldn't help but grin.

* * *

Toph's eyes have looked suspicious ever since Holly and Aang left to practice firebending. Katara's were too, but not for the same reason. She never admitted to Aang that she still had feelings for him. She tried as hard as she could to tell him how she really felt when she was healing his jaw a couple of days ago, but she only wished for him to be happy, and at the time, his happiness lyed with Holly. She couldn't help but feel hurt when the sound of her falling completely on top of him woke her up this morning.

"Is that everything, guys?" Sokka asked before starting to take off Appa's saddle. "Katara? Toph?" He knew he was the only one who didn't let Holly and Aang get to him. He did feel a slight attraction towards Holly, but in his opinion, any teenage guy would if they saw her.

"I think I'm gonna take a walk. I think I can sense a town coming from that way," Toph proclaimed. She had to use a false reason in order to get away with it. She truly felt that there was a reason why Holly didn't want to practice with Aang that way when she came from that direction to 'wash up'. Something was going on down there, and she felt sure of it.

"Alright, well -"

"I'm coming with you," Katara said with integrity.

"What!" Sokka asked.

"You stay here, Sokka. Someone needs to watch over the camp."

* * *

Katara and Toph ended up standing in front of three earth walls in the middle of a forest next to the large stream beside them. It was obvious that this wasn't natural, obvious that it was earthbended, and also obvious that Aang was the one who must've done the earthbending. Katara looked at Toph with an annoyed expression, and then realized that she can't determine certain gestures. Without saying a word, the blind earthbender put the walls back into the ground where it belonged.

There was a fire nation soldier laying flat on its stomach. Katara's first incentive was that this man was dead - killed by Holly, herself, and she just left him there to rot. Even though this man was from the fire nation, that doesn't give her the right to end his life.

"Is he okay?" Katara only asked because she wanted to deny her first instinct. Her and Holly were finally on good terms, and she didn't want to ruin the better image of her in her head.

"He still has a pulse," she said surprisingly. "He must've passed out or something. . ."

Katara and Toph crept up to the still man. They knelt down on either side of him. It didn't look like Holly, or even anybody layed a hand on him. His jet black hair was still neatly tied in a top knot, revealing unharmed skin all around the sides of his face and all of his neck. Not a speck of dirt could be found on his armored plates. The fire nation insignia on the back of his shoulder blade reflected the bright sunlight from above.

Katara was relieved that she was wrong.

"Should we try to wake him up?" she asked.

The two benders knelt there for a few moments, thinking of what to do next. Katara was convinced that their gut feeling was wrong for a change. She felt a good deal of respect for the girl. Toph still thought that this was too good to be true. Holly was raised in a mafia. Mobsters handle things differently then others, and they would not think twice about ridding anyone from the fire nation.

Toph and Katara suddenly felt a large hand wrap around their ankles and yank them off of their feet. They had to react fast. Toph defensively earthbended the soldier farther back through the woods. Katara quickly got back on her feet, in her waterbending stance, and waited.

This man attacked fiercely. He was trying his hardest to defeat Toph and Katara. After so long of dodging fire balls and attacking with earth and water, Toph felt a spike in his heartbeat that slowed her down.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH CHIAGI?" he bellowed through seering teeth.

The two of them stopped attacking, but still held a good defense stance. "Who?" Katara asked.

"Don't act like you don't know! Where are you keeping that other girl!" He stumbled back and forth hazily. His anger was out of control, yet he was still having side-effects from being so close to dying. Katara thought she caught a glimpse of a tear rolling down his cheek. Toph knew that she was right after all. Holly must have somehow taken away somebody.

"He was standing right there before that girl sliced him in half with white firebending," his voice trembled too ferociously for him to yell.

"_What?_" Katara couldn't believe what she was hearing. She really did kill somebody.

"Where? Do you mean where that pile of ashes are?" Toph asked curiously. The firebender did not answer. Toph, followed by the other two, let their gaurd down. They knew that that only meant one thing.

* * *

**It's great to be back! I apologize if this chapter is a bit long, and even though nothing super major happens, there's still a bunch of info and great stuff like thatt.**

**Expect a showdown between Katara and Holly soon ;D**

**Please review and let me know how I'm doing :) thanks for reading**


	33. Her True Roots

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

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* * *

**

Almost at the brink of hopelessly, Chris lifted himself up from the couch as painfully as it was to open his eyes. The destruction of his one and only home did not look any better in the morning. A part of him fantasized that everything that happened last night was all a part of his nightmare, and he would wake up in an essentially perfect world, where Holly would be by his side. That is all he's ever wanted.

In all reality, he was completely aware of what his goal was for this reducingly optimistic day. He, along with these three strangers that are taking over his home almost without his say, will be looking for another penthouse - but he has his doubts that any of those will be left. They might have to find an abandoned home over where Holly destroyed all of the buildings with the fire nation air ship. He hasn't been towards that area up close ever since that happened. He doesn't even know if there is any type of roof that will be on top of their heads. . .

Holly's face was gone. His picture was gone, with all but his face still barely hung on the smokey wall.

"We need to start packing." Zuko appeared in his hallway. He leaned against his doorway with no regards for his girlfriend. "The sun is about to come up."

"Do _not_ tell me what I should be doing in _my_ house." Chris stomped his foot and pointed to the demolished floor beneath his feet. "Get the _hell_ off my fucken wall, turn the fuck around, and why don't you start packing?"

"Why didn't you tell those damn friends of yours before they almost killed us all?" Zuko retorted.

Chris stood up abrubtly. "You know, I don't have to take you with me, smartass." He was charging at him as he told him off. "I'll send your fucken ass back to the fire nation where you came - better yet, I'll throw you out in the god damn streets tonight, and maybe you'll show me a little bit of fucken respect if you survive!"

"That is enough!" Iroh bellowed as he entered the room. "Chris, whether you like us or not, there is no denying that you need assistance if you are going to try to overthrow this mafia and see your girlfriend again! If you truly want to see Holly as soon as you claim, then you will cooperate with my nephew, despite your feelings with any of us."

Chris closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Zuko kept his eyes narrowed at his when he opened them. They exchanged tenseful looks; he nudged Zuko out of his way as he passed him in the hallway to gather his things. Azula forced him to stop when she stood in the doorway of his bedroom. She awkwardly read the furious expression on his face, and then allowed herself to move out of his way. Azula was the only one who had all of her things ready: the clothes on her back.

* * *

Aang was shaking. He could feel it in his knees. He tried his hardest to keep still like Holly has been telling him, but when she stares at him so intensely with those eyes of her's, he can't help but feel intimidated.

"Remember your control. Don't let the fire take over." Holly took a stance diagonally right of him. She copied the stance she ordered him to perform and swiftly moved her arms in the correct form. After her performance, she turned her head to watch Aang to do the same. He was much too entranced with the view he was gifted with, that he barely paid attention to her extra demonstration. Nevertheless, he had to try this form. It was simple without the firebending, which was the point that Holly was getting at. A few simple punches are much more challenging for a beginner firebender.

To much of his surprise, Aang was much more successful then what he thought he would be. It was exactly as how Holly demonstrated, and his fire was controlled by the breathing exersices he was taught.

"That was amazing!" Holly threw her arms in the air in excitement as she turned around to congratulate her student. They exchanged high-fives, Aang feeling quite proud of the appreciation he was receiving.

"Now, we got one move down, and hundreds more to go!" she chanted with equal amusement. Aang lowered his eyebrows. His one moment of glory dissapated. "Hundreds!" he repeated in disbelief with his jaw dropped.

"Okay, maybe I might be exaggerating a bit, but that still doesn't mean -"

Holly hezitated, quickly reacting by placing her small hand across her scarred chest. Something seeringly hot flashed through her bloodstream in the middle of her sentence. It was random and scared her greatly. She took in a quick breath - that was all that she could take in. Her lungs weren't accepting any of her supplied air. Holly didn't want to scare Aang, so she took it as something humorous and planted a fake smile on her struggling face. She needs to come up with some kind of cover-story before she finds out what this really is. Nothing has ever happened like this before.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she squeeked through her small airy voice. "My lungs sometimes do this, it's nothing to worry about -" She coughed. She was expecting something to slither back up her throat, but it was all dry. "It's nothing to worry about, it's just from me being in that explosion a couple of years ago. . ." The painful heat travelled up her throat, through her nasal cavaties, and stopped when they found the backs of her eye sockets. Things started becoming blurry.

Aang was about to push the matter further, but his own eyes became distracted when he noticed Katara and Toph strutting through the woods towards them. They were both equally driven by some sort of anger by each step. It was unusual to see them share mutual feelings about something. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

Luckily, by the time Katara and Toph came into their clearing, Holly's strange happenings subsided. She was left staring at the ground in confusement. Holly wasn't interested in anything they had to say since she had a feeling of what it was anyway.

* * *

"M - my Lord?"

The great and powerful mob boss was being weekened by something he couldn't decifer. The slaves raised their heads, despite the fact that they were supposed to be bowing. Mainyu was more than just a mere mob boss now. His incredible power could have any of these men sentenced to any sort of tortue of his will if anything were to go wrong in this city. And here Mainyu was: shortened of breath, unable to keep himself standing straight, and uncontrollably coughing, courtesy of nothing but his dry insides.

When his coughs subsided, the tall man did not move a muscle during a long pause. The dealers (now referred to as slaves) were extremely perplexed, yet terrified to do anything about the situation. They were enclosed in the same man-made dungeon below the floorboards of the Haven's old penthouse. This is where all of the confidential meetings were held. Most everyone was frightened of passing through the penthouse, which they guessed was some kind of a game to their leader. He had a good deal of fun destroying everything but the walls and roof in the abandoned penthouse with his newly acquired dark firebending.

Mainyu's lips curved upwards slyly, very surely pleasured about something. His red eyes became less and less pale until they glowed from the sockets.

"As the comet draws nearer, my powers react eagerly to escape from the chambers of my soul." His long gritty hair fell over his shoulders like they had a mind of its own. The voice that was drawn from him did not even sound human.

* * *

"Wow, Holly, you must've been so damn proud of yourself to kill innocent people everyday and lie about it," Katara taunted, walking up to her with only two feet seperating them. "You're just a sick mobster like all the rest of them!"

Holly half expected Aang to come to her defense. Ignoring the aches in her head and sinuses, she raised her eyes and watched Aang's face boil up with anger. She should not have been too optimistic. There is only one person in this world that would stand by her no matter what her decisions were. Much to her painful dissapointment, Aang never was, and never will be, a substitution for Chris.

"You did kill him. . ." Aang said to himself. Holly saw the confusement in his face. The fact that these three were going to raise hell for this one person she has acted out on made her feel vulnerable and alone. She at least hoped that Katara would understand her unhealed wounds, but she was the one who was most hurt by her ways. She always has been.

"Oh, congratulations, Katara, aren't you the detective? Just coming to conclusions if you see some guy from the fire nation passed out on the ground?" Holly's fake smile contrasted with her annoyed mood, which did nothing but strike furious chords in Katara.

"And you're still trying to cover your own ass to keep your rep' as the misunderstood gangster in front of your little boyfriend here! We caught you, Holly! Toph and I talked to that guy, and the first thing that he did when he woke up was looking for his friend, who 'miraculously disappeared' as he was unconscious? Hmm, isn't that convenient?" Katara mocked Holly's fake smiles as she pretended to be genuinely thinking with a higher tone of voice.

Holly's eyes glowed brilliantly in fury. And what more to add to her uncontrolling emotions than the man who witnissed it all to be joining the group? The fire nation soldier looked like he was in just as much pain as Holly was.

"So what are you gonna do, Holly?" Katara demanded. "Are you just gonna stand there and growl at me like some kind of 'dragon spirit' like you did when we met, or are you gonna walk away like you did all of the other times?"

Toph could feel the vibrations of Holly shaking. She was now feeling guilty of ever bringing up the idea of investigating that territory in the first place. She had no idea that Katara was going to give her such a hard time about it. Her interrigation was getting too much out of hand. Toph was under the impression that we would simply warn her to not do it again. They don't even know what the real story is. The firebender could have threatened her in some way.

"Katara maybe you should tone it down a - Hey, that firebender is coming!"

Katara did nothing to stop the man from thrusting his way through the tall trees. She simply watched him walk their way, and then turned back to Holly, who was rapidly throwing her arm up to her face to wipe the corners of her eyes when she thought no one would notice, or probably even care. Aang began to gradually side with Toph. This could result in someone else getting hurt.

Holly shockingly did not even acknowledge the man ready to attack her when he reached the clearing in the forest. "You know, Katara, you think you can just boss people like me 'round 'cause you got a little action from the mobsters back home, but it's honestly getting _a bit_ tiring." Katara was retaliating, but Holly was yelling over her own voice. "You were _raped_ Katara! You got fucken raped! But you're too fucken proud to admit it to anyone! You're taking the easy route by sticking your nose in my god damn business! I mean, come on! You think that's gonna make you feel better?"

"And you can't fuss up to anything because you were raised to be a tramp!"

"You're a god damn two-faced bitch. . . you're just all talk, 'ya dirty bitch, gettin' in all my fucken shit, talkin' 'bout how everyone should feel sorry for you 'cause your fucken mom died; you could never imagine what i'd be like to live like _me_. . ." Holly sounded like a mobster. Her slanged tongue sounded sick coming out of her mouth, and it was incredible how experienced she was at finding manipulative words to bring someone down. She hasn't talked to anyone like this in years, but this was the last weapon she had. Katara pushed more buttons then she ever thought that she had, and now that she started her foul language, she couldn't even stop herself from the horrible words "You're fucken weak shit that can't take a fucken hit without runnin' your mouth like the garbage truck you are, walkin' around thinkin' it's okay to talk shit about how I was fucken raised; and now that I'm tellin' you off about yourself, you're just gonna fucken stand there like a dumbass cunt!" Smoke billowed out of her nose in pure rage. When she ended her rant, something struck her: _What was she doing?_ She felt that same pain in her chest, only this was much stronger. She heard Aang's yelling voice in the back of her head, but she couldn't make out the words because she couldn't see him.

"Holly, STOP!" Aang pleaded. It was like she was completely deaf if her eyes are not facing him.

Under addrenaline, Katara gave into Holly's backfire. Little did she know that the firebender, who seemed unexistant for this past moment, made his first move by shooting a fire blast towards Holly, who noticed it immediately only because of her eyes caught it before her mind. Aang screamed Katara's name to get her attention and did his best to dive at her and move her out of the way.

She missed the flame by inches, but Aang thought otherwise because he missed his target. He was lying in the dirt and grass with nothing in his grip.

* * *

Zuko entered the kitchen where Chris, Azula and his Uncle Iroh were readying for their dangerous search for a new place to temporarily stay. Since the kitchen lacked any sort of table except the small counters that lined up against the boarded wall, they were packing their bags on the dusty tiled floor. All that Zuko saw going into their knapsacks were multiple containers of water and a few loafs of bread. That was all that they've been eating since he's arrived here. He was sick of eating like a fugitive. He would rather be back in Ba Sing Se with his Uncle Iroh.

"Is everything ready to go?" Zuko asked. His bag was already around his shoulders, filled with all of Chris's outfits that might be needed if temperatures escolate. Underneath that bag was a rolled up sleeping bag tied around it. He was thankful that every one of them were firebenders so they can give themselves extra body heat, but they still need to be prepared for anything.

"Pretty much," Chris answered, not nearly as hot-headed as he was when he first woke up earlier. He hooked the buckle around his backpack and threw it around his muscular shoulders. "All we really need to bring is all the food and water that we can carry and what you've got."

"Should we not bring some of the papers or books you have from this city? It might help us further understand how to infiltrate them once Holly arrives," Iroh asked.

"We can only bring a couple if we can fit them somewhere, but I don't think it'll do much good. I've been readings those things for a while."

"Those books helped us find Azula," Zuko pointed out. "They've gotta be at least of some use to us."

Chris sighed, but he knew that he couldn't argue with his statement. "Go grab the rule book and the atlas, but _that's it_. We barely have room for the necessities. . ."

Zuko narrowed his amber eyes at Holly's boyfriend. He wanted him to catch his dissatisfaction of his attitude. Chris was thinking nothing of it. The only thing he wanted to think about is how they were going to go along this trip. Zuko left the room again without a word.

* * *

Katara was shifted off of her feet just in time. As Aang raised his head, his first guess was that Toph was the one who shifted the earth beneath Katara's feet, but Toph was too engaged in something he couldn't conclude. She must've been feeling some sort of distinct vibrations. She could extremely concentrated. If it wasn't himself or Toph, then it had to be none other then Holly: the one who just challenged her to a fight. It took one his of the man's own fire blast to knock him backwords into a tree trunk. Holly didn't even have to use any of her energy towards him. She was using a waterbending technique: to use their opponent's own energy against them.

"You better stay the fuck outta this." Holly pointed at the fire nation soldier, who was holding his head uneasily from his own blow.

"You're gonna kill him too!" Katara shouted from Holly's feet. She scrambled to stand back up again, but by this time, both Aang and Toph held her back by her arms. Holly studied her struggles to break free from their grip, despite the fact that she just saved her. It didn't make sense to any of them, not even herself. She has always had a reputation of trying to save people, even after her bad side gets the best of her. A rush of guilt contained all of her senses. She began to wonder if she just ruined her privelage of teaching the avatar firebending.

"I'm telling the authorities about this! I'll write to the damn Fire Lord about you!" the man shouted. He was already scurrying away when Holly glanced at him.

Toph was no longer helping Aang with Katara. She was standing there again with the same blank expression. Aang was trying to move Katara with him back to camp, and then noticed that Toph was not following.

"I'm gonna stay here for a while. I'll catch up with you guys," she said. Aang looked worried at first, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. His main priority was to seperate Holly and Katara. He didn't want to think of anything further. He wanted to know where the Holly he's always known went. Just a few minutes ago, him and Holly were peacefully practicing the art of firebending, as he admired her movements and was inspired by her in any way. Now, he definately cannot say the same.

As Aang and Katara walked away from the two smallest people of their group, Holly physically could not keep her eyes off of the tears that flowed down Katara's face. Toph waited until she could speak without being heard by anyone else. After about ten seconds, the trees from the forest completely engulfed the sight of them. The silence seemed to go on forever. Holly had no idea what to expect.

Her golden eyes slowed down time to let her mind know that three thick slabs of earth were about to strike her. She didn't want to use her firebending, so she desperately put her arms around herself before she was thrown in the air and smacked her back into a nearby tree trunk. The pain from the blow triggered the mysterious agony in her chest for a third time - this time, so painfully, that her pupils rolled back behind her head, but she still barely heard the words, "I will make you regret you ever said any of those words to my friend."

When she regained consciousness, she saw Toph in her earthbending stance, waiting for her to stand back up.

Holly couldn't even lift her head up without struggle. "I don't wanna fight you."

"Why? Is it because you think I'm so blind and helpless? I'm not good enough to fight you, but Katara is?"

"You don't wanna waste your energy on someone like me. I saw before I told Katara off that you were startin' to take my side," Holly said in a shaky voice. "So just leave it at that, and if you really care about Katara, then you would be off with Aang instead of acting I would."

Toph lowered her stance. "I don't understand. . ." She felt the same compassion about Holly as she always has at her words. She heard her sob once in pain, but she continued her explination.

"The truth of my past is the one thing that scares me the most, and Katara threw the truth at me point-blank. It's that I can't be saved from how I was raised. I'm fucked in the head, and I always will be.

"But you're better then that, Toph. I know you are."

Holly was hoping for a miracle that Toph would actually take her words to consideration. She would not blame her for anything for continuing to attack her. She probably does deserve it. . . but then again, Holly still thought that Katara was out of line for bringing up how she was raised. She doesn't want her miserable past defining who she is.

She rested her eyes for one second, and then she was suddenly being pulled from the earth beneath her. Holly had no choice but to defend herself against the powerful bender. She stealthily jumped onto her feet, courtesy of her toned fitness, and landed in a perfect firebending stance. She quickly skidded her feet farther apart from each other to create enough electricity to surge through her body and out her fisted hand. Toph threw a boulder at Holly that ten times her own size; it disintegrated into grains of sands when it touched Holly's lightning.

Another boulder quickly followed. Holly lowered her legs into the splits to the ground to avoid the attack. Toph tried a different tactic, and used the ground underneath her to throw her off balance. Holly watched her movements in slow motion, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid it without using deadly moves in her favor. Luckily, she was able to raise herself a few inches to avoid being hit exactly where her scars lie on her legs. She was thrown in the air once more, and this time, landed in the branches at the tops of the lush green trees.

* * *

The lonely dealer terrifyingly walked inside Mainyu's private room. He was sitting at the same desk Holly Haven was just a few years previous. He has abused anything that the Havens used to own except for this office. This is the only remembrence he has of having a sane ruler.

There was a man-made fireplace placed behind the desk Mainyu was sitting in. He guessed it to be new since he's never seen it before. What was in the fireplace made him drop to his knees in fear of his life.

"What news have you brought?" The voice of his ruler was much deeper then what he was expecting; much more scary then what he remembered. "Were you successful in finding him?" he demanded.

"We have placed every one of our strongest men on the streets in constant shifts." He was happy that he was able to memorize the words that he planned prior to his meeting with Angra. "As we expected, he was not hiding in his original home."

Mainyu's voice growled in an animal-like tone. His red eyes glowed significantly against his dark fire behind him. "Were you fools at least decent enough in finding Manda Haven's whereabouts?"

"We've heard rumors that she's made a new life for herself in a small earth kingdom town far north of here."

"Find the location, and send a fleet of men to retrive her," he snarled, pounding his fist on the desk. "We need anyone close to Holly in my clutches to force her back at this doorstep. I want you to do whatever it takes to find her and bring her back alive. _I_ will deal with her when that is done - and same goes for the little bastard."

The desperate man struggled to stand back up again.

* * *

He couldn't contain himself. His brother, and more importantly, his best friend, was just killed in front of his face. Him and Chiagi have been through everything together when it comes to this brutal war. What were the odds that he would be killed so violently by a girl that probably only stands at five feet tall? Things like that don't just happen, it's impossible. . .

Dozens of other soldiers from the fire nation thrived in this small town. He needs to gather every single one to bring down this one girl. Someone also has to send a messenger hawk to the warden of The Boiling Rock to warn him of a new prisoner joining them. He will not rest until she is brought to rot in jail. . . maybe even be killed by him.

He kept his stride as he made his way through the first entrance road to the village, rudely pushing through every earth kingdom citizen that were minding their own business. Many of the markets were open today and ready for business. He found one group of men in their red armour in the corners of his eyes. He made no second thought in approaching them in urgency.

"I apologize for this interruption, but -"

The firebender closest to him turned around and immediately said, "Ah, there you are, Shen Su, just the person I need right now!"

It was Chitsang, the one considered leading the group of firebenders controlling the village. He was a short, bulky man who was very arrogant when it came to bullying those weaker than himself. He threw his thick arm around his shoulders, and said, "I've got a girl here tryin' to steal some foods from our markets."

He took a quick glance at the teenage girl standing in front of him. She had long, wavy brown hair that came down to the middle of her back and was parted to her right side, and shimmering tan skin that brought out her chestnut brown eyes.

"This can wait, Chitsang, we have an emergency on our hands!" He was relieved to get his attention easily, along with the other soldiers standing near them.

"Chiagi and I found a girl in the woods with a bag full of things from the fire nation. Once we got her attention, she threw a fit of rage and attacked us both. . ." he gasped for breath to announce the death of his only brother. "My brother is dead, Chitsang. . ."

"Where is the girl now?"

"I found her arguing with a bunch of other kids in the woods."

Chitsang stood there with a suspicious look plastered on his face, and then asked, "What does this girl look like?"

His finger instantly pointed at the girl in front of them. "A lot like her, now that I see it. Only with shorter hair, a lot more build, and extremely bright eyes. . . and she's a firebender. . . she can bend white flames. . ."

"Are you talking about Holly Haven?"

That name rang alarming bells in his head. He knew all along, in the back of his head, who the girl was. He couldn't believe that he never made the connection. He never registered his memories of hearing the news about the girl who successfully broke out of The Boiling Rock prison, who is rumored to be involved in assisting the avatar in trying to defeat the fire lord.

The girl dropped the fruits that she was accused of stealing in her small hands and used them to cover her gaping mouth.

* * *

**I took out the A in Amanda Haven's name to make it sound more. . . idk older? But I like it better that way.**

**I'm bringing her into the story! :) I hope my arguments played out well, especially the Holly and Toph fight :D**


	34. The Only Other Being

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show**

* * *

Chris almost forgot what wind really was. Weather has always been nonexistant in the middle of the largest desert on the planet. It was uncomfortable wind. It scratched against his skin like sand paper, causing a bone-chilling shiver down his spine. It brought the silence more of a touch of eerieness. He could tell that he wasn't the only one feeling it. Iroh seemed to be the only one with his head raised high as he made his way down the empty streets of the sleeping city. The sun was looking over them closer then he could ever wish for on this certain day.

None of them dared to make a sound. It was already a big risk to be out in the open, especially when their footsteps made distinct crunches against the tiny grains of sand and dust. All that Chris could think of was Holly. If she were here, then finding a new home for them would come to Holly like a snap to her fingers. Her eyes are limitless. . .

Zuko felt tension between the two family members following with this journey to be hard to determine. Iroh and Zuko already agreed on Azula's state of mind: that she had lost her way, and that she needed to go down. He knows that none of this experience has changed her opinions of the war. He wish he could imagine the correct outcomes of Azula's choices if they were to ever come out of this fiasco alive. If anything, her personal experience might make her worse.

Iroh was fearing that both his niece and nephew were about to lose their way, along with the other lost souls rotting in this town. Zuko's past choices are not proving him otherwise, as he would have hoped.

To be honest with himself, Chris knew only that they were to not go further into the heart of the city. He's never had to go in the outskirts before. He has no idea if people are living there or not, but there's only one way to find out. Their best bet was to follow the buildings damaged by Holly.

They came to the end of the narrow street. Iroh was always the first one to check for mobsters around the corner because he was the only one that could perform the move. They have been lucky so far, until Iroh signalled that there were a few out on patrol. The four of them huddled together to come up with a plan.

"It wouldn't be wise to try to fight these men," Iroh informed, barely escaping a whisper from his lips.

"Should we turn around and find another route?" Zuko breathed.

"I think we should cut through one of the buildings," Chris appointed. The other three followed his colorful eyes to a door at their right. "I don't think we should turn back now."

They didn't have a better plan then that. They reluctantly nodded.

* * *

Austain Laporté: The man who Holly Haven despises to the pit of her brightful soul. Angra Mainyu found this man perfectly suited for the mission of finding the mother of his missing child - who he is convinced that this child will take his place in the heir of Mainyu's organization one day. He is driven at the hope of seeking revenge on his ex-girlfriend. He will not let his ruler down.

A few others were accompaning him on a small, poorly made boat that drifted down the ocean to a small earth kingdom town. It was exactly what was in the description from the other mobsters connected to them. Austain ordered the other mobsters to set the anchor down. This was definately where Manda Haven was, he concluded. It was crawling with fire nation.

"Finally. . . My vengence will be prevailed."

* * *

She knew that she deserved it.

The time is now, that Holly has to learn to accept defeat. Toph's sense of vibrations are quicker then her eyes. . . they have to be. Otherwise, she would not be barely hanging by a thread in this tree. She must be a failure.

Her eyes flickered back to where she once stood. Toph was gone. The way the earth punctured her wounds shot deeper than mere flesh. It brought back the same memory that has been haunting her ever since the tragedy happened. Austain's face appeared and pulled her back to reality. Why does she feel like he is so close?

Holly dug her nails into the bark to pick herself up and stand on the branch. She had to take a break from everyone. She has done enough damage to them today. Instead of flying, she dropped to the ground. It made her feel more like a human than a spirit.

* * *

Sharpening the same boomerang for this long was becoming way past the line of boring for the water tribe warrior. He was always left to look after the camp and never included in anything important. It didn't make himself feel better that there was a hot-spirit-firebender-not from the fire nation teaching Aang the last element before facing the Fire Lord. But it didn't even matter that he felt an attraction towards her, because he completely disagrees with her lifestyle and how she treats his sister.

Sokka heard the sound of rustling through grass and bushes. He instantly thought of the rest of the gaang, but that couldn't be right. The sound was coming from behind him, not in front.

"You!"

Sokka nearly jumped out of his socks in startlement. He turned his head to see a group of armed fire nation soldiers. His heart sank when he realized that they were already going to have to find a new place to stay.

"Wait a minute, Chitsang. Isn't that the avatar's bison?" one of them asked. He took their distraction as an oppurtunity to stand up in a fighting position with his boomerang already at hand. He had no idea how he was going to hold off all of these firebenders by himself. He actually thought that they were here to capture the avatar. . . were they origninally here for Holly?

* * *

Aang saw the firebenders through the trees the more they approached camp. He knew Katara was in no state to fight anyone else at the moment. But, of course, she was going to deny it and say that she is capable.

"Don't worry about me, Aang. I shouldn't of got her worked up in the first place, and I can deal with it later. Right now, we need to protect ourselves."

"Are you sure? Sokka, Toph and I could probably take care of them," Aang desperately offered. He knew deep down that his words wouldn't matter. She's much too strong for that.

Her reply was a smile, even though her deep blue eyes told a different story. There was something there that he couldn't figure out. . . something she hasn't gotten able to tell him yet. He's had that gut feeling ever since she came back from Haven City; go figure.

He approached the fire nation-infested campsite alongside the girl he loved.

"How did you find us?" Katara demanded, as she stood next to her older brother in a waterbending stance. The entire group of firebenders looked like they were dumbfounded.

"Where is Holly Haven?" one furious man bellowed. He shoved his way to the front of the group to be clearly seen. It was the one who's friend was killed by her. He was not kidding when he said that he was going to tell the authorities.

"You just missed her. We don't know where she could be," Katara replied calmly.

"You liar!" he yelled. "I just saw you all with them not even an hour ago!"

"How lucky are we to find the two most wanted people to the fire lord travelling together?" the leader taunted, ignoring his fellow soldier's demanding intentions of seeking revenge for his brother. He could be the most praised man in the world for capturing these two beings for the Fire Lord.

* * *

Holly saw the fire nation soldiers invading the camp. She was at a loss at what to do with the situation. She could easily protect them from the other firebenders, but if she does so, it might make everything worse because the reason why she got in a fight with Katara was for killing someone. She couldn't understand why her ways were so wrong all of the sudden. Holly stared at them with a discusted face, thinking desperately for a solution. It was one thing after another today.

Two girls that seemed her age stood next to the obvious leader in the front of the group. One, with a gloomy expression, kept a large supply of throwing knives concealed in her robes, and the other, judging by her body type, probably had a distinct way of fighting by flexibility.

"Holly Haven has Princess Azula captured," the dull girl said. "That's why they don't want to tell us where she is!"

"Men," Chitsang commanded. "Attack!"

Holly panicked as she watched the gaang trying to defend their home site. Aang blew the crowd further away from them with his airbending, and Katara exploited her waterbending with much grace, yet power. Holly was reminded at how strong of a bender she also was. Even Sokka, who has no bending abilities, fights like a true warrior. As Toph joined the fight, she felt a rush of respect towards her, as well. She has ruined every chance to be with these amazing people. Furthermore, she failed to assist the avatar in defeating the fire lord. Her mission was a failure, and she'll never be able to look Chris in the face and say that everything went to waste.

She turned her head away from the battle, letting her eyes settle to normal focus. Chris appeared in her head, clear as crystal. She simply admired his face, trying to imagine the feel of his presence once again. It would be a blessing to her to just have him standing next to her right now - standing by her side - it's all that she's asking for. He doesn't have to say a word. She wants him to be there for her, like he always has. Her heart was aching, and she has never felt worse pain then abandoning the man she loves.

The only other being that she could've loved did exactly that to her.

* * *

Chris, Iroh, Zuko and Azula swiftly stepped into the threshold. They found themselves in a dark room. This usually was never a problem for Chris to break into all of these rooms inside the buildings when he was with Holly. There are no windows anywhere in Haven City for a reason. It took them a while for them all to gather their surroundings. The floorboards underneath their feet eerily creaked as they tried to make their way through the dark room.

As what Chris assumed, the room was unoccupied. The mobsters were probably sleeping upstairs, and it might even be an abandoned home. It was going to be risky to rely on there being another door on the other side of the building. Now that Chris contemplated their choice, he began to realize how slight of a chance that was.

A small flame blossomed in the palm of Iroh's hand as he cautiously lead the three other teenagers through the dark room. Chris noticed a row of counters and cupboards against the wall to his right, but other then those, there was nothing else in the room. It was so lifeless. . .

Zuko stepped on a loose board the echoed a loud screetch through their ears. Azula and Chris froze, but Iroh urged them to keep moving forward in case someone did hear them upstairs. Chris could feel all of their hearts pumping through their chests in intense fright.

Just as what Chris was afraid of, there was no back door to this building.

"Who goes there!"

The rough voice scared the flame away from Iroh's palm. The voice came from upstairs, but none of them knew how to react.

"I've already payed the dealers this week. Whoever you are, I have nothing to give you!"

Zuko, Azula and Chris looked at each other with puzzled looks. The man sounded genuinely frightened - possibly more then they were. If he wasn't a dealer, then they would have nothing to lose if they tried to have a conversation with this person.

Chris lit his own fire in his hand and moved onto the first step to show himself. He could barely see the outline of a man shaking in his own firebending stance. He was pleasantly surprised to see that no one was trying to hold him back.

"Chris Draven?" he asked shockingly. He gradually lowered his arms as he spoke. "You. . . you're alive?"

"You know me?" he asked.

"Do I _know_ you? M' boy, you're the most wanted person in Haven City! Oh spirits. . . when I thought there was no hope to bring back the reign of the Havens. . ." he said, more to himself.

"We apologize to be breaking into your home, my good man," Iroh coaxed. "But I must beg to ask if we -"

"Oh, yes, by all means!" he said welcomingly. "Anyone who is a friend of Holly Haven is a friend of mine."

* * *

At this point, Holly was too mentally numb to make any sort of difference in the gaang's struggle to defend themselves against the fire nation. She found herself walking away from the battle. She was subconsciously heading for the earth kingdom town.

Her small hand went up to scratch the top of her head. She noticed that her hair was completely natural. It hasn't been naturally wavy in years. To keep herself slightly occupied, she would pick out small amounts of strands of hair to run through her fingers. With the heat of her firebending, her hair straightened itself. When she first started to fully change the look of her hair, it was because she was going through a stage of transformation after her rape. She wanted to make a statement that she could fit in with any mobster at near ten years old. When she left with Mainyu to put themselves in prison to gain information about the avatar, she did the same thing so she could disguise herself from any other mobsters that were also there.

Ever since this morning when she was having those strange pains in her chest, her eyes have been acting like they have a mind of their own. Her head was intentionally down so they wouldn't be wandering around. She found herself ignoring the fact that her eyes were urging to look at something from the village. They were trying to tell her something.

* * *

"If anyone gets in my way, then rid their sorry asses. I don't want anyone stepping in between me and that bitch that thinks she can steal my son from me. If you don't do your job, then I'll feed you straight to Angra Mainyu himself."

The crowd of dealers unoaded themselves from the boat that hit the shore. Their outfits were identically black, but their piercings and tattoos varied. Most everyone had tattoos running across their arms and some up their necks. They were going to stick out like black on white in the village, and that was how they wanted it.

They took no precaution to be in a neat single-file as they walked towards the village, as the fire nation soldiers might have. The dealers were sloppy and too arrogant to figure the possibilites of anyone defending their hometown. Austain hid himself in the back of the crowd, taking in his surroundings. To the right of the village was a thick forest, where he heard the sounds of a battle taking place.

He soon noticed a distinct trail manly made, with a small girl walking on it with her head down. As she noticed their presence, she looked up, with her bright eyes directly piercing with theirs.

Austain thought that he was dreaming, or maybe it was a trick of the light. Holly Haven did not look like the same little girl he found wandering the streets of the mob years ago. He has heard the stories of how threatening she has become at Mainyu's side. How could it be a coincidence that both Havens happen to be at the same location?

"Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to fight!" Austain yelled. He waited to watch if she actually has improved her strength since he overpowered her so long ago. The first dealer stepped up to the plate, shaking from his head to toe. He took a timid stance and threw two large fire balls. Holly took in the fire in both hands, whirled it around in a circle as it changed its color to white, and and threw it back at him. In the same movement, she spun her entire body around and shot a bolt of lightning in the square of his chest. One of the dealers skidded behind the rest of his crowd, assuming that his move wouldn't be seen, but Holly breathed the lightning through the heels of her feet, directed it out both of her arms and took down two more dealers.

Austain was familiar with the feeling he was beginning to experience as fear. His desperate attempt was to use these men as a distraction so he can escape to find Manda. If he stays here, he might never make it back to Haven City. Austain found himself sprinting faster then he ever has before to the village.

* * *

Holly dropped everything she was doing and ran after him. All she could see in her mind was red. The dealers still standing threw bolt after bolt of lightning through the ground to stop her, but she was too fast for them. She was running so fast that white fire erupted from her body and feet from ripping through the air like an animal.

The other dealers were running behind her, throwing sloppy bits of fire towards her way. Holly threw a hand behind her shoulder. A blade of fire sliced through the air, and all but one dealer was smart enough to lower their heads to avoid getting them cut off. She dared to not let her eyes fade away from Austain whisping through the crowds of villagers. The problem for Holly was that she couldn't see anything else around her except Austain clearly. Her bumping into anything and anyone slowed her down.

A door opened from one of the houses in the corner of a turning road with a girl about her size standing at the threshold, holding a baby in her arms. Austain found the door as an oppurtunity to hide. The girl gasped and turned around just in time for her back to take the blow of Austain running into her.

Holly stopped as he came in contact with the girl, who's face was still hid behind the wall of the adobe house.

"Uh - I - I'm sorry, but you gotta get outta here," Holly awkwardly tried to explain, breathing heavily from her damaged lungs being forced to take her across town.

"Hand over the child, Manda! The kid is mine!"

"_Mandy?_"

That was the nickname Holly always called her. She took a step into the house to get a closer look at her. Manda was trembling furiously, clinging to the child in her arms for her dear life.

Before she could get a response, a pair of enormous arms grasped around her neck and pulled her back outside. The air in her lungs gasped out of her. Her half-deaf ears barely heard Manda scream her name.

The dealer was forced to let go. The heat was much too unbearable to touch. Holly dropped to the ground. She watched Manda being thrown to the wall, still never letting go of the child in her arms, who was crying at the top of his lungs to make everything stop. Holly finally understood why her sister had to leave.

She spun her legs around to release as much of her firebending as she could to get rid of them. She didn't care anymore. She had to get back in the house to save Manda and her child. Finally, the rest of the dealers went down. Holly stumbled to stand back up. She ran back in the house and threw herself at Austain, digging her nails in the sides of his face and neck, his blood evaporated from his flesh before it could run down his skin. She got him to drop to his knees. One small hand was gripped to his neck, the other behind her head, her fingertips pointed at him. Holly's eyes have never glowed brighter ever before.

"You dared. . . to get my sister _pregnant_. . . after all that you've already done?" Holly wanted to cry, but no tears could form around her eyes. Everything was anger and frustration. It was pure hatred. "Do you realize what I have to go through every damn day. . . because of _you_?"

"Don't kill him, Holly!" Unlike Holly, Manda was crying. "I know he deserves it, but if you kill him, then Mainyu will send more mobsters after us!"

Holly wanted to kill him, because she was taught that it was the way to power. But then she realized what it cost for her already, from just today. "If I let him go, then he's only gonna gather a bigger army of mobsters later," she contemplated.

"We can deal with that another day, Holly, please, just let him go for now!"

Holly turned her head to look into her sister's eyes. She was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room with her child. She understood her pain, but she had to agree with what she wanted for now.

She looked back at the struggling man underneath her grasp. "If you ever raise a hand to my sister again. . . then I _will_ kill you!"

At that threat, she stepped off of him. Austain struggled to get back on his feet, but he managed to make his way to the front door. He turned around to face the Havens once more, and he said, "The dark lord will have both of your heads one day. One day, he will take over the world and get rid of you Havens once and for all!"

* * *

**I know there have been people favorite and subscribing to this story, so you should review too! (:**

**Next chapter will just be of Chris and his gaang to explain what I've written about in this chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	35. The Resistance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. All of the rights belong to Nickelodean and the creators of the show.**

**I'm bringing in a character I mentioned way back in ch 16, Heather, who used to date Chris when Holly was the leader, FYI :)**

**By the way, if you're really serious about religion and stuff, then you might not enjoy the rest of the story. Just sayen, lol.**

* * *

Iroh led the three teenagers up the ominous staircase. Anywhere they looked, there was a large spider web full of dust and grim making a home out of the worn-out wood planks. The man they approached looked as old as Iroh himself, wearing rags as clothes that revealed unflattering images of lack of food written all over his bony skin. Zuko was most disturbed by his physical appearance, while the others attempted to politely disacknowledge by only looking into his sunken eyes. He gestured toward the first room on their right that shown light from numerous candles sitting in the windowless room in the four corners. Chris guessed that this room used to be full of prostitutes at one point, but is now abandoned. He could almost mentally feel Azula cringe at the familiar aroma creeping through her senses.

There was one lonely floor table in the center of the room with evident dirty blankets surrounding it. The group sat around the table, numbing their curious minds as to where these things came from.

"Once again, I am truly humbled to have met you, Chris Draven," the man repeated rapidly, as though he was nervous. "I'm Toah, and I'm one of the members of The Resistance."

Chris lowered his eyebrows in question. His eyes wandered down to his lap. ". . . There's a resistance?"

"I knew there had to be someone in this sick town who still has a conscience," Zuko commented to his instant belief.

Iroh studied Toah. He was still shaking through his battered skin. He had no control with himself. His twisted hands intertwined, and there were beads of sweat running down his brow. Assuming that he has lived under these conditions of extreme heat for quite some time, there must be another factor involved.

"Oh, yes, my good man. All of us that haven't been posessed by the dark forces are members," he eagerly pointed out.

"You mean those who've joined forces with Mainyu?" Azula asked. She usually never says a word to anyone, but no one blamed her, considering what she has recently been through. It was surprising to Chris that she could keep herself under control in a retired prostitution room. Toah, on the other hand, could not keep still to save his life. He now began to pace back and forth in the front of the room attempting to explain the recent events taking place here.

"Yes, but trust me, Miss, these men did not choose by their free will to be on Mainyu's side," he said pointed out. "The type of fire that is bended from his soul is not your regular fire you see cooking your food on a kettle. That dark fire has a soul of its own once it is released into the air. It has the power of possessing the minds of the innocent." Toah was doing a good job of influencing the curious minds of Zuko and Azula, and maybe even Iroh, but Chris thought that this man was crazy. He shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to meet the eyes of the others in the circle. He knows what the mob is like, and he has seen Mainyu on multiple occasions. This "dark fire" that everyone seems to be making such a big deal about doesn't look right to him. He has learned from personal experience that people are capable of being evil by choice.

"Demonic nature is a serious thing to question, Toah." Iroh's voice was extremely low. The intensity of his voice could be felt by the man standing across the room. It was as though he had experience with these natures to know why to warn him of such dangers.

"If you are in denial of something taking place, as we speak, in two individuals on this planet, then you are more prone to be next on Mainyu's side. Those who can accept the fact of reality are gifted with the Heaven's soul." The mentioning of Holly's spiritual existance brought silence to the room. Chris did not bare to look at the man anymore.

There were loud footsteps that suddenly vibrated the floorboards from the hallway. Everyone jumped in unison, including Toah, who cowered in the corner in case it was an ambush.

A woman was standing in the doorway. She was very tall and slender, with long blonde hair that cascaded down to her hips. The metal soling her ankle boots made the loud clunks against the floor. Her clothing was almost literally ripped rags that looked torn, overworn, and slightly revealing. Her skirt, just above her knees, had many layers of black and dark red, and her black shirt was ripped into a v-neck and a tank top. There was a hand-made bag around her shoulders with arrows and a bow tied around it. There were patches of dirt and bruises coloring her fair skin everywhere, but she still stood tall and proud.

"Chris. . . what are you doing here?" She recodnized his voice before she saw him, evidently. "How did you get here without dieing?"

"Heather?"

Azula's face lit up when she finally saw another woman with her that wasn't mentally drained from being used as a tool, but there was no time to introduce herself. Chris and Heather obviously already know each other.

"I thought you. . . I thought you. . ." Chris knew what he wanted to say, but the words would not escape his mind.

"No. . ." Tears built up in her silver eyes. "I got away. . . everyone was too preoccupied on saving Holly. . ." Chris stood on his feet and they rushed to each other in a tight embrace.

Zuko and Azula looked at Iroh, who nodded slightly, which to them, meant that they should politely wait until they're done to ask questions. Toah looked a bit offended to be pushed over and ignored, and so he interrupted their time of reuniting.

"I think a bit of introduction to our guests are in order, first!"

Heather and Chris slightly parted, their arms still around each other, and their eyes met for the first time in years. After a short pause, Heather smiled, let her arms back to her side, and took a step forward to face the other three still sitting at the rutted table.

"I'm Heather. Chris and I sort of had a history a few years ago. . . and I knew Holly quite well. . . back when she was leader." She found it hard to explain her relations with the two of them, because it was definately a roller coaster of emotions that were never resolved.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Heather," Iroh politely began. "I am Iroh: the brother of Fire Lord Ozai, and the Uncle of my niece and nephew, Zuko and Azula."

Heather's eyebrows lowered in puzzlement. Then, she looked at Chris and asked, "What are they doing here?"

"It's alright, Heather, they're on our side. Iroh saved our lives a bunch of times, already, and they wanna help overthrow the mob once Holly comes back from training the avatar." He was excited to fill Heather in on everything that has happened the past few years, because so many things have changed. Everyone was convinced that she didn't make it after the explosion, along with the other mobsters that were too close to the bomb. It was like she came back from the dead, and he couldn't contain all of these emotions in at once. He was happy, and he wanted to tell her everything that has happened, but at the same time, he wanted to know what she has been up to, as well. It was someone else that was here with him, that understands what he means when he talks of the life in the mob.

Heather's look did not change in her eyes.

"You are an archer?" Zuko said in awe, who did not seem to feel the tension building up in the room. Toah rolled his eyes after his question, crossed his arms and tapped his foot repeatedly on the floorboards.

"Oh, yeah. . . one of the only one's left, I'm afraid. . ."

"Most of the other archers became dealers and changed their fighting tactics to something much more 'effective', even though, people should not underestimate archery when it is done right," Toah explained, desperately trying to get back into the topic they were on before Heather came in.

"So, what, Heather, did you just stumble upon a resistance after you got away from the explosion?" Chris asked anxiously, not even noticing Toah's voice behind him.

"Well, not exactly. . ."

Chris's colorful eyes demanded a recollection of what has happened to her these past years, and she felt the same way with him, so she knew it was only fair to share her recent past.

". . . I sort of created it," she admitted. "After the explosion, I had literally had no where to go. Everything was happening so fast, and I didn't want to be caught in the middle of a fight between the nobles and Mainyu's guys, so I ran. . . At the time, you know, I was in such a panic that I thought everyone was gone, and I thought I would have to start a new life for myself. . ." Heather breathed deeply to slow herself down. "I found one of these empty buildings on the other side of town, and that's where I ended up staying. I was planning on leaving the next day, but then I met some other guys who convinced me to stay. They were about my age, and they told me that I wouldn't survive if I tried to escape from the desert. These guys, Jah, Xaver, Pharense and Jerero were planning a coup to overthrow this small branched organization that sells drugs in order to gain access to the higher appointed dealers, and eventually Mainyu. Their integrity and bravery inspired me. . . and then, when I agreed to join them on their mission, we managed to find their location and take down every one of the mobsters, but in the midst of celebrating, a dealer heard us from outside and struck every one of them with the move. Jah was the only one who survived, and he yelled at me to get out of there. . . He actually sacrificed himself for me. . . I mean, I haven't even told you any details, that would take me ages. . . but those were the guys who inspired me to form a resistance. Once I escaped, I spent months gathering men who weren't brainwashed by Mainyu. You wouldn't believe how many people really are on Holly's side!"

"That's amazing," Chris said. He waited a moment for her story to sink in, and then added, "No, that's perfect! This is perfect, Heather, this is exactly what we have been trying to do this whole time. We were planning on trying to build an army against the dealers and attack on the day of the comet coming up. I found out that Holly might be able to physically transform into The Great Spirit of Fire on that day."

"I must not be the only one doing my research," Heather chuckled.

After the conversation ended, Chris stood there in front of her, staring at what an inspiring woman Heather has become. She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and moved it behind her back. This is the only withstanding female mobster left in Haven City, and she is the founder of a resistance towards Mainyu.

"Why don't we all sit down, hm?" Toah suggested, approaching the table where Iroh, Zuko and Azula still were. Heather nodded in agreement, and since she was already standing at the foot of the floor table, she sat down where she was. Chris found a spot on the hard floor next to her and Zuko, and on the other side sat Toah.

"So is it true that Holly is really with the avatar?" Heather anxiously asked. "Is she really teaching him firebending?"

"Yeah. . . I saw her for a split second when she was saving the avatar's friends from being captured here. The avatar was standing in the doorway - it had to be him. I never saw tattos like he did before. They were blue arrows, just like other people said them to be," Chris explained. He felt a sharp pain in his heart to think about that day: the day when she saw her beautiful face, and touched those soft lips of her's for the first time in years. . .

"That's amazing!" Heather said excitedly, but her mood quickly died down. "It sucks, though, that you had to let her go again. And now you have to wait for her for another month or so."

"A few days after that happened, Zuko showed up at my doorstep without any real warning." Everyone turned their eyes to Zuko, who felt his ears turning pink, as he knew that the way Chris was going to explain his awkward appearance would leave a bad impression. "But I knew it obviously wasn't any mobster from here trying to take me down - I could tell he was just lost, so I let him stay at my place for a while. I just had no idea that he actually had something to do with Holly and that was why he was stuck here in the first place. He told me about his sister, Azula, who he hasn't managed to find, so we both went and saved her from the dealer's business. So, the three of us were staying at my place for a while, and then Iroh shows up, and tells us all that he found out that Zuko and Azula were missing, so he escaped from his prison to find us, and then -"

"What this young man is trying to explain is that I ran into the avatar and Miss Haven on Ember Island. Miss Haven questioned me first, but then she realized that I was simply on a mission to save my niece and nephew, and so she informed me on everything I needed to know in order to find them as quickly as possible. Her instincts were undoubtfully right, and I was successful on finding them, coincidentally with Chris Draven, whom I share my complete condulnesses with for saving my family's lives." Iroh concluded his own explination, and humbly grinned at the awestruck woman kneeled at the other end of the table. He spoke much more clearly than Chris, as he was not consumed by overwhelmness.

"I can't believe how lucky you guys are to have found yourselves in this mess of a mob," Heather said, looking at each one of them individually.

"I believe it not to be luck, but to be The Great Spirit of Fire guiding us on our journey," Iroh stated faithfully. "I think it was meant to be to have me meet Holly Haven before I began my journey. Otherwise, my plan would have most definately failed. . ."

"I agree with you, Iroh," Toah spoke up. "She is looking upon us all, and she is the reason all of our heart's are still beating." Chris almost forgot that this guy was still here with them. "Mainyu and his gaang are arrogant to think that no one is a threat to them."

"I still don't think I agree, Toah. If they thought they had no threats, then Mainyu wouldn't have bothered to build a huge army like this. He would already be trying to expand his mob across the world," Heather retaliated. "I seriously think that Mainyu knows almost everything we know, and that's gotta be partly how he found his dark bending!"

"Isn't it strange that Holly Haven was born with her white firebending, and Mainyu wasn't?" Azula suggested curiously.

"The spirits overtaking their bodies have a mind of their own, we mustn't forget. The demon didn't fully choose Mainyu until now, for some reason we will probably never know," said Toah theoretically, squaring his shoulders.

"I believe the spirit knew surely at once that Holly Haven _was_ The Great Spirit of Fire," Iroh added to Toah's theory. "Mainyu's spirit, however, is probably substantially arrogant and stubborn."

"Why are you guys so convinced that Holly is. . . _possessed_ or something? I don't think it's that extreme," Chris disagreed. "And are you positive that Mainyu can bend dark fire?"

"Trust me, we are sure, Chris," Toah sighed. "The effects of being touched with dark fire is horrifying; both Heather and I have seen it ourselves. About a week ago, one of the members of our resistance had to be carried back here from a mission not knowing that he walked right into a trap. The man's body was being taken over by the darkness through his veins - his eyes turned dark grey, and his skin lost all color until the darkness successfully killed him from the inside out. Out of all of the horrible things I've witnissed living in Haven City, that was definately the worst sight. . . Mainyu is unstopable, and only penetrable by one other being."

* * *

She buried her face in her lap, not having the power to control her dangerous anger that manipulated her soul. How did she just let the animal go that hurt her most next to Angra Mainyu? Something was groing inside of her from the pit of her chest to her fingertips, to the point where her jagged nails began to vibrate and the backs of her eyes soared in heat.

"I never knew that it could get this bad," Manda admitted, whom she could barely hear since she wasn't watching her lips. "Mom and dad told me that after so many years, the spirit will further possess you, but I had no idea-"

Holly growled intensely in consuming pain and slammed her hands on the ground that sent a shockwave through the city.

* * *

"Did you hear that!" Aang yelled, still in shock of walking past all of these mobsters on the ground, not knowing if they were dead or alive.

"She's in that house," Toph pointed at the only house that had its door wide open.

"You guys go ahead," Katara yelled from behind. "I'm gonna see if I can help any of these guys-"

"Wait, who's that!"

Sokka was the first one who saw one last mobster still on his feet. He looked desperate to leave the town, and he must've came from that house. Shockingly, Sokka's instincts was to chase after him. He yelled at the top of his lungs for the mobster to stop, but the attempt was futile. As he further approached the house, he noticed a small girl with a toddler in her arms trying to get his attention.

". . . after him, just let him go, he'll die trying to escape!"

Sokka stopped, only in confusion at the familiarity between this girl and Holly.

The rest of the gaang, except Katara, caught up with Sokka and all stood in front of the doorway.

Manda looked terrified to be standing about the avatar: she came to the realization that Holly must be with him and his gaang. "The avatar. . ."

Aang was just as shocked as she was to be meeting this girl, who seemed only a few years older then they were, with a child in her arms. It was not hard at all to figure out that she was related to Holly. All that she needed to do was change her eye color and cut her hair shorter, and maybe obtain a larger build. . .

"You're Manda Haven," Aang stated.

Before Manda could further introduce herself, Holly Haven appeared in the doorway next to her. Her eyes were inflamed and swollen at the bottom, and still had tears running down her face. There was a large bruise beginning to appear around her neck.

"Wh - Where's Katara?" Holly asked fumbly.

Manda turned her head and widened her eyes at her sister's state. "Holly, are you okay?"

"She's back there checking up on the mobsters," Sokka told her.

Holly walked past her older sister, without making eye contact, and made her way back through town. She had no more energy to run anymore. Aang stood in front of her when she tried to pass him, and said, "We'll get her for you, Holly, you just need to sit down and take a break." Aang still couldn't believe how many men she took down all by herself, though, she was facing dire consequences. Some of the images he chose to see walking through the town were revolting, and it was incomprehendable that Holly was the one who did those things.

He felt Katara's vibrations of footsteps approach him, and she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Katara!" Holly cried out. Her legs felt like lead as she forced them to bring her forward and pass Aang. After he last step, she dropped to her knees. "Katara, it hurts! I'm sorry I'm making you do this!"

"The spirit is most highly provoked when Holly reaches an extreme emotion," Manda explained over Holly's sobs. "I had no idea it would hurt her this much, though!"

It clicked in Katara's head that the girl was Holly's sister, looking back at the explination she provided back in Ember Island. She automatically pulled out her water from her gorges and ordered assistance to lay Holly down on the ground.

Aang and Sokka layed her out, and they immediately noticed the hotness of her tan skin. The healing process was hard to bare. The breath billowing from Holly's nostrils were steaming hot, as well, and they had to stay clear away at the right times. Katara's face was in deep concentration as she battled the struggling soul in her chest with her waterbending, but there was no change.

"There's no use putting some water over her heart, you need it wrapped around her head to calm her emotions," Manda ordered.

Katara obeyed her absent-mindedly, and was surprised to see the effects it had. Her breathing subsided, and her heart beat slowed. She closed her eyes tightly as she regained normal consciousness, and then she stared up at the sky.

Katara lifted her head. The girl was standing directly above her now, and she set the child down next to her, as she knew that the coast was clear of enemies. "Who are you?" she asked for clarity.

"I'm Manda. Holly's sister." She kneeled down with everyone else and held the boy's hand. "And this is my son: Hero."

* * *

**Hero Haven. What do you think? He'll play a big role way later if I decide to continue this story. I've introduced a huge handful of OCs, as I usually do, but I hope they're just as interesting as the rest of the original characters.**

**Please review!**


	36. I'm Back!

**Well hello there! I have returned to fanfiction with little to offer, only to remind people that I'm still alive. This is just a re-write that I did to one of my favorite stories to a small bit of one of my early chapters. Aang has just been attacked by the mobsters of Haven City because he escaped, and Nevaeh just rescued him.**

**It probably isn't going to make sense to anyone, but I tried to choose a scene that contains most of the plot.**

**I've really missed writing! Even if I do look back and cringe at what I wrote, but I hope that means that I've improved a bit! Expect me to write something understandable soon, such as a Taang shipping or something.**

* * *

"Where's your glider?" she asked sternly. "Did they take it?"

He couldn't remember. It's not with him. His mind is blank. Aang stared at his hands; they were empty.

"Can you stand?"

He looked at her again, realizing he has nothing but the clothes on his back. Those people took his glider, Momo, Appa, and most importantly, his friends. He has no idea where they are or how they are. The thought of where they are or what they're doing merely causes his insides to uncontrollably burn. These people stripped him down to nothing. Who could these people be if they're not the fire nation? What could this city want with him? Evidently this is not just a trespassing issue.

"Aang, if you want to find your friends, we have to get out of here first before somebody sees us." Nevaeh kneeled down, staring directly into his eyes. "I have a place where we can stay. We need to get out of here before they come back!"

Before he could compose himself, she grasped his hand and pulled him to his feet with surprising strength. His body naturally leaned against Nevaeh's for support. The rush of his blood accelerated to cause a pounding ache in his skull. He shut his eyes tightly, rejecting the brightness of the sun.

Nevaeh put her arms securely around his waist. "Step by step, now. I got you, I got you, Aang."

"H-how much further?"

"We're almost there, just keep holding on. We're almost there."

At least he had escaped the building where he was held captive, but the attempt would have killed him if Nevaeh had not arrived. The skill these people have acquired are astounding. They have a style of their own.

His head was spinning, he couldn't clear his vision. Nothing could be thought of but the estimated pain his friends must be enduring at this moment. They could be anywhere. They could be separated, perhaps miles apart from each other. It could already be too late.

* * *

"Here. Drink this."

Where was he? Were they there? He flinched at the incoming aromas. His senses were being cleared from the steam. The steam was coming from a mug being held in front of his face.

"Be careful. It's hot."

The moment the liquid touched his lips, his condition improved immensely. It was the best tea that has ever brought warmth and comfort to his body. Nevaeh examined him, felt his forehead with the back of her hand, and dabbed a cold, wet rag all around his face.

"How are you feeling?"

Compared to a few hours ago, he was feeling fantastic. He was being treated with great care. For her selflessness, was she expecting something in return?

"Why are you doing this?"

He tried to be blunt. The question was simple. He doesn't owe her anything for what she did.

Nevaeh opened her mouth to respond, but she hesitated; her mouth closed again. She pulled up a chair nearby and sat down. She looked exhausted; her posture was a great slouch, her head bowed to her lap, her hair was disheveled from resting it against him for possibly miles.

"I betrayed the fire nation… My family and I left the fire nation and created this wretched place for you when I was very young. This place was a safe haven from the war, and their plan of providing a haven backfired on them… Innocent lives are being taken every day all because one nation wants supreme rule… I figured the only way to stop the war was if you were able to defeat the fire lord."

He had to be reminded of the war… Every day that he's going to spend on saving his friends is another day lost to preparing to confront the fire lord. His destiny of being the avatar is going to have to wait a little longer.

"I think I'm the one who's supposed to be your firebending teacher. But before I can do that, I have to take down this city that my parents created. It needs to be destroyed. It's my responsibility to save your friends because this is my city…"

Nevaeh found no other words to elaborate on. Her point has been made. Her golden eyes stared, awaiting a response.

"I can't think that far ahead right now. I need to focus on finding my friends. Once they're rescued… Once I find them." He brought his mug closely underneath his chin, for its steam brought warmth. His body shivered from his drenched clothes. "Once… _we_ find them."

"We can start first thing tomorrow, but for now, you clearly need to rest," she said, standing up from her chair with her own mug at hand making her way to a row of counters against a dark wall. It was a quiet little living place, lit only by old candles amongst a small wooden table. There was one window placed directly above the counters, but heavy curtains rejected any sun from coming through.

"What is this, by the way?" Aang asked, continuing to study his surroundings.

Nevaeh set down her mug with her back facing him, her head down. "It was my parents' house…"

Aang took one more sip of his tea and then set it down beside him. He, too, was going to stand up. Nevaeh quickly returned to his side and grabbed his hands.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. He hadn't realized how unstable he was still.

"No, it's fine," she reassured. "Just follow me, I got you."

Her arms were around his waist again. His legs were leg blocks of led as he took his individual steps. He clung desperately to Nevaeh, relying on her entirely to carry him to his resting place.

Before he even knew it, he was laying in an enormous bed with a thick quilt and grand feather pillows.

"Don't expect any light to come through in the morning. No one can know we're here, okay?" Small soft hands rested upon either side of his face. She gave warmth to his clammy skin. "I'll see you in the morning."

The palms left his face, and her silhouette drifted away, smaller and smaller, until she disappeared behind the doorway.

_First thing tomorrow morning_, he thought,_ I'm going to get myself out of here._

He can't trust anyone in this city – especially the one who claims it to be her own.


End file.
